


The Marauder's Book

by ArrianeMason1995



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-15
Updated: 2019-01-15
Packaged: 2019-10-10 11:23:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 38,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17424959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArrianeMason1995/pseuds/ArrianeMason1995
Summary: Skipping up the road to her house, April spotted a small book lying on its side. It was half sticking out of the road in the gutter. Walking over the road, April picked it up quickly and looked at the cover.Moony, Wormtail,Padfoot & Prongs;The MaraudersIt read simply. April had never heard of the Marauders or whoever these people were but the paw prints along the parchment cover were clearly moving, pointing it to be related to the wizarding world.Slipping it into her small bag, April finished her journey home with a cheery hello to her parents as she got in the door. Mr and Mrs Mason were simple people and Muggles through and through. Neither understood nor even really cared about the fact that their daughter went to a wizarding school or that she was a ‘witch’. They were too immersed in their world to care about that.Little did she realise this book was something special. It would teach her much more about the Wizarding world than anything/anyone else had been able to. This was the adventure of a lifetime but the question was simple, who was she going to get home...?





	1. PROLOGUE: The Book

April just couldn’t understand it as she swung on the swings with her best friend. Jessica had very little in common with her but it sometimes surprised how little they really did have in common.  
   
“So,” April pursed her lips. She was almost sixteen with tumbling brown hair to her shoulders and grey eyes with green flecks. “You not only don’t like Lord of the Rings, you also don’t like Pink Floyd, AC/DC or any other proper music _AND_ you don’t like magic?”  
   
Jess nodded quietly. “I’ve never been able to sit through the two-hours-something of Lord of the Rings. I watched half of the first one and didn’t get it. I would rather listen to my music than whoever you were talking about and magic is neat for party tricks but it’s a little boring, don’t you think April?”  
   
“No, I love magic and you can like that music _along_ with proper music. I just sometimes wonder why we are actually best friends. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t want to be best friends with anyone else, it’s just that we have next to nothing in common anymore.”  
   
“Perhaps that’s why it works?” Jess laughed quietly and April nodded.  
   
She knew this was why it worked. They were like the sun and the moon, two opposite who need each other anyway. It had been like that since they first met at pre-school. April had spent her first seven years happily at school with Jess but moved to a different school when she turned eleven. It still worked though, even if they saw each other a lot less.  
   
It was the summer now and April would be going back to school on Monday 1st September. Jess still didn’t understand why her friend went to a school that sometimes started on a Saturday but she never said it anymore. This would be the last weekend she saw her best friend for until Christmas so she didn’t want to spend it talking about school.  
   
It was getting dark when April and Jess parted ways but that wasn’t on April’s mind just then. She was thinking about having to pack her trunk and get her animals together. Her owl would need a fly and her cat would want to be fed by now.  
   
This is why April didn’t understand Jessica’s lack of interest in magic. April had already showed her when they were younger that magic was real but now Jess was older and April couldn’t use magic until she was seventeen legally any longer…  
   
April was a witch and had been attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the last six years but now she was going into her O.W.L.s and things were going to be extraordinarily hard. She was happily taking charms, potions, defence against the dark arts and Quidditch. Well, she counted her Quidditch as a lesson but it obviously wasn’t.  
   
Skipping up the road to her house, April spotted a small book lying on its side. It was half sticking out of the road in the gutter. Walking over the road, April picked it up quickly and looked at the cover.  
   
Moony, Wormtail,  
Padfoot & Prongs;  
The Marauders  
   
It read simply. April had never heard of the Marauders or whoever these people were but the paw prints along the parchment cover were clearly moving, pointing it to be related to the wizarding world.  
   
Slipping it into her small bag, April finished her journey home with a cheery hello to her parents as she got in the door. Mr and Mrs Mason were simple people and Muggles through and through. Neither understood nor even really cared about the fact that their daughter went to a wizarding school or that she was a ‘witch’. They were too immersed in their world to care about that.  
   
“How was your day honey?” her mother asked her as April had started heading up to her room.  
   
She stopped with her foot on the bottom step and craned her head around so she could see into the small sitting room where her parents were sat. Her mum was drinking tea while watching the news while her dad was reading the newspaper. She could hear her younger brother and sister running around upstairs.  
   
“I had a lot of fun,” April said with a smile. “Jess says hi by the way.”  
   
Her dad folded the paper and looked up at her. “Well, we were wondering if you really wanted to go back to that school of yours this year. You could still go to school with Jess this year. I know how you’d like that.”  
   
April shook her head. Her parents had been trying to get her to go to her local school since she started Hogwarts but April wasn’t backing down now. “It’s only two more years; I think I would rather stay. After all, I still have a lot to learn.”  
   
With this, April disappeared up the stairs, half-running into her younger sister. Rowan and Ash, her younger twin siblings, were both nine years old and happily screaming as they threw water at each other.  
   
They both had grey eyes but Ash had dirty blond hair while Rowan’s hair was almost black. Neither looked much like their older sister but they were happily attacking each other and didn’t notice April so she slipped into her bedroom without getting wet.  
   
Her trunk was almost packed so she fell back on her bed and opened the strange book she had found on the floor. Inside were a number of plans which, if she didn’t know better, she would have said belonged to Fred and George Weasley.  
   
The crazy scribbles and drawings definitely looked like their normal plans for pranks and general trouble-making. They were some of her closest friends at Hogwarts, even though they were a couple years older than her. They had left last year. Spectacularly, I must add! Drove Professor Umbridge completely insane. Loads of fun to watch!  
   
April was a prankster herself and even helped with developing the puking pastels but she never allowed her name to be put down. After all, she couldn’t be caught that way.  
   
The book wasn’t only filled with these plans though. It also contained detailed drawings and work notes for school. There were plans for making a magical map. Plans for sneaking around school without being noticed using hundreds of secret passages that April recognised. Plans for every full moon to go to the Shrieking Shack, ‘The Most Haunted building in Britain’.  
   
It was an interesting read but when she got to the end, a small light flared from the pages and April couldn’t see. She felt herself falling, wondering what was going on. As she opened her eyes, April saw the Quidditch Pitch coming up fast. Someone flew beneath her and pulled her onto their broom just before she hit the floor.  
   
Grabbing tightly onto the person’s waist, she let herself silently freak-out. What had just happened? She had finished the book and now she was at school? These things don’t just happen, not even in the wizarding world!  
   
“GO JAMES! GO JAMES!” the crowds were shouting as someone dived for the Golden Snitch. He was wearing Gryffindor robes but the Gryffindor Seeker wasn’t anyone called James. It was Harry Potter. She would know since she’s been watching him play since they started school.  
   
The boy twisted under his broom and quickly plucked the fast flying Snitch delicately out the air. Flying full pelt toward the ground, he twisted once more and turned until he was high in the air, brandishing the Snitch.  
   
Whoever she was flying with laughed huskily and cupped their hands to their mouth. “Oi, Prongs, you big headed show-off! Do one more spin for your _adoring_ fans?”  
   
The boy winked behind his goggles and span into a swan dive, jumping from his broom to land gently on the ground. Bowing heavily, April saw him throw the Snitch in the air before quickly snatching it once more. It looked too rehearsed to impress her but there was something about this scene that was more worrying for her.  
   
If Harry wasn’t the Gryffindor Seeker then where and, more importantly, when was she?  
   
The broom angled and she was heading toward the ground with whoever was driving. She quickly grabbed their waist and heard the person laugh once more.  
   
“Don’t worry,” the person said. It was a boy but April didn’t recognise the voice and wasn’t too ashamed of grabbing him even though she didn’t know him. “I won’t drop you.”  
   
“I might still fall off though.” She warned him.  
   
As they landed, the boy who was driving the broom went and high-fived the Seeker. “Congrats, Prongs! That was once intense game.”  
   
‘Prongs’ shook his head slightly. “Aw, Padfoot, I wish we were still playing now. I could have ‘missed’ the Snitch like last time to keep the game going. Why did I have to be so good at this and _always_ win?”  
   
‘Padfoot’ rolled his eyes and turned back to April as he pulled off his goggles. He had quite long black hair, grey eyes and a piercing in his left ear. He was also very tall.  
   
The other boy pulled off his goggles and looked remarkably familiar. He had windswept black hair and glasses but instead of the green eyes she would have expected from Harry Potter, he had hazel eyes. He was somewhat shorter than his friend also.  
   
“Who’s the girl you caught this time Padfoot?” the boy laughed heartily.  
   
Padfoot shrugged and rubbed his hands through his hair. “I have no clue Prongs. She fell from the sky though. Perhaps my dreams are coming true.” He gave a cheeky smile at this and nudged Prongs in the side.  
   
Prongs held out his hand and messed the back of his head further. “James Potter,” he smiled and that was it for April. Now she was really confused.  
   
Two boys came running on to the pitch wearing Gryffindor colours. One was extremely short with blond hair and watery blue eyes while the other was a similar height to James with golden eyes and light brown hair. This boy had three scratches across his face and April fainted…


	2. Unexplained

April awoke in a room that was very familiar to her. It was the school infirmary which she had visited a number of times due to Quidditch injuries she always seemed to be injuring. She never complained though. Madam Hart was a lovely lady after all who always knew how to make someone feel better.  
   
She couldn’t see properly as she opened her eyes but there were people standing around the bed. “Harry?” she asked quietly as she tried to focus on a boy above her with glasses. “Did I have another Quidditch injury?”  
   
“Who’s Harry?” the boy asked. As he came into view, April pulled her covers further up her chest. All four people were boys she didn’t know but also did know. She remembered who they were now.  
   
“Sorry, umm, James?” she asked uncertainly.  
   
“That’s the one,” he smiled and knocked her chin.  
   
“You gave us a fright then,” another boy said. It was the one who had been called ‘Padfoot’ and was extremely gorgeous. April turned to him in surprise. He laughed, “You fainted when Wormy and Moony came running. I know little Wormtail isn’t much of a looker but you didn’t need to faint because you saw his face.”  
   
April blinked. “That’s a little harsh, don’t you think?” she asked innocently as she sat up.  
   
“Nah,” James smiled. “Old Wormy’s fine with it, aren’t you Pettigrew?” he called over the bed to the littlest boy there. He just nodded silently with a small smile on his face.  
   
April squeaked and pulled back. “P – Peter Pettigrew?” she asked with wide eyes. James and ‘Padfoot’ laughed at this as the boy with golden eyes leant over the bed.  
   
“Would you like some chocolate?” he asked with a sweet smile.  
   
“Thanks Lupin,” April smiled and allowed him to break off a small piece for her which she quietly popped in her mouth before looking back at the little boy with wide eyes.  
   
Padfoot looked at April in surprise. “Did you just call Moony, Lupin?” he asked uncertainly.  
   
Everyone looked at April closely as she swallowed the chocolate. “Why, isn’t that his name after all?”  
   
“You didn’t recognise any of us.” James pointed out.  
   
April put another piece of the chocolate in her mouth. “Well, that’s because I didn’t recognise any of you but I remember Lupin. It’s hard to explain.”  
   
“Do you know who I am then?” Padfoot asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.  
   
“Umm,” April said, chewing the chocolate quietly and looking the boy up and down. He looked fairly familiar. If you added a bit of stubble and some dirt from Azkaban… “Sirius Black?” she asked with a slight smile.  
   
James’s mouth opened with a pop. “Jesus, this girl knows something we don’t.”  
   
April smiled. “You could put it that way.” Feeling around in her pocket, she found the small book once more. “I think this is probably yours,” she said, handing it over to Remus Lupin as he passed her another piece of chocolate.  
   
Peter smiled and turned to James and Sirius. “I knew I didn’t lose it!” he squeaked happily.  
   
James laughed. “No but it lost you Wormtail. Looks like that spell you did to it really works Moony. I never doubted your skill but I thought this one was crazy.”  
   
“Time travelling book?” Sirius chuckled. “Jesus, I thought we were in trouble for the map. Imagine how much trouble we would get in if this was found?”  
   
Map, April thought to herself. “Do you mean, the Marauder’s Map? That was you as well?”  
   
The boys all turned to look at her in surprise. James looked pleased with the acknowledgment. Sirius looked pleased with himself (but that was probably normal, I mean, he’s _Sirius Black!_ ). Peter looked as if he would rather run than talk to this girl. Remus was cautious and April could tell.  
   
“Where are you from?” he asked quietly.  
   
Pursing her lips April thought for a second. “Well, it’s the summer of 1995 and I’m about to start my sixth year of Hogwarts. Loads of laughs that’s going to be now that my only fun friends have left. Um, you left school two years back after someone let it slip that you were…” April looked up at him with a little smile. “That, you were more than most Professors.”  
   
“You know that Moony is -” James stopped himself, looking around in shock. “You know about Moony’s condition?” He finished.  
   
April nodded. “In fact, it was Professor Lupin who helped me out most in my third year. I’m an unregistered Animagi and had been since I was in my second year but I didn’t know what to do. It would freak some people out so when I heard that he was a – you know – I went to see him about everything. He was a great help to me.” April smiled up at Remus and watched as he flushed a bright red.  
   
The infirmary had a number of empty and occupied beds and April was starting to feel uncomfortable. She had eaten almost three chocolate bars but all she wanted was to be elsewhere. It was then that Professor Dumbledore stepped into the infirmary and walked over to her.  
   
“Hello,” he smiled down at her. His long white beard was almost dragging along the floor. “How is our little guest?”  
   
April wiped the chocolate stain off from around her mouth. “I’m feeling much better now Professor.” She smiled.  
   
He nodded and turned to the boys. “I would like to speak with all five of you, if you are able to follow me?” he asked and started walking from the room.  
   
April pulled her covers off her quickly and half-ran to follow him as the others strolled along behind. Hogwarts didn’t look very different to how April knew it but there was an air of caution about the place that had only recently occupied her Hogwarts.  
   
This was the middle of a dangerous time for many muggles and wizards alike. The Dark Lord (Lord Voldemort) was a strong Dark Wizard and was making no amount of trouble. April knew this but she hadn’t expected such familiarity also.  
   
The House Ghosts flitted here and there and, as they passed the girls lavatory on the second floor, April could hear the wails of Moaning Myrtle. The glass windows were the same and everything looked the same. There were just a different generation of people here.  
   
As she walked, one boy caught her attention. He was tall with long blond hair and was speaking with a couple younger boys. He wasn’t wearing school robes but it was obvious he was a Slytherin. Even without introduction, she knew he had to be a Malfoy.  
   
He smiled at her as she passed so she tossed her hair to the side and turned her back to him. “I wonder who the new girl is,” he chuckled and watched her walk away.  
   
Dumbledore took the five children up to his office and sat April down in a chair while the boys stood around her. As Professor Dumbledore sat down, April had a sinking feeling that she could be in trouble. It wouldn’t be the first time but it would be different here. After all, she didn’t know anyone here. It was completely different to normal…  
   
“Now,” Dumbledore leant forward with his hands gently clasped together and a smile on his face. He was looking at Remus. “Can you explain to me how a girl dropped out of the sky, onto our Quidditch Pitch, during a game that means Gryffindor is now in the lead for the House Cup?” he asked happily. He didn’t look angry at all.  
   
Remus swallowed hard. “Well, Professor, it’s -”  
   
“I found a book,” April smiled and Dumbledore turned to her in interest. “I found a book and I somehow came here. I don’t know how or why it happened Professor but I need to get home soon. I have to get back to Hogwarts for my sixth year.”  
   
Dumbledore chuckled lightly, his beard and glasses bobbing gently. “I’m sure the Headmaster will understand.”  
   
April bit her lip. “Sir, you _are_ my Headmaster but, as I’m sure you’ve realised by now, I’m not from this Hogwarts. I’m from 1995, sir, and I need to find a way home for two days’ time and I don’t know how to do that.”  
   
Dumbledore kept smiling and pulled his wand out, making a small note on his desk. It read;  
   
 _1995, April Mason, probably late for school, no trouble for her, no fault of her own!_  
   
No one spoke for a while after that but the five students sat still. After ten minutes, April shifted in the seat so she had her chin resting in her left hand while she tapped the arm of the chair with her right.  
   
Sirius quickly put his hand over hers to stop the tapping. He didn’t seem to notice his move and quickly stepped back when he realised. Clearing his throat, he turned to Professor Dumbledore.  
   
“Was there anything else?” he asked with a smile. It was breath-taking and could easily break someone’s heart.  
   
“Oh,” Dumbledore exclaimed, looking up from his desk, he had forgotten they were sat in front of him. “Yes, of course, but keep an eye on Miss Mason. She’s your responsibility until she can get home.”  
   
The boys nodded and James quickly dragged her from the room. “What house are you in?” he asked quickly.  
   
“Gryffindor,” she said simply with a slight shrug.  
   
“That’s easy enough for us then.” Sirius smiled as they all walked up to the Gryffindor Commons.  
   
James walked quickly and muttered the password so quickly that April missed it but she had a feeling she wouldn’t need it anyway. As they walked into the plush red room, James started rubbing the back of his head, making his hair even messier than it had been earlier.  
   
“Hey, Evans!” he smiled and walked over to her.  
   
The girl had long red hair and emerald green eyes. She looked at him in slight revulsion. “Goodbye, Potter.” She smiled back and disappeared up to the girls’ dormitories.  
   
Sirius and Remus smiled at each other sneakily as James shook his head. Just from that, April knew he liked that girl and she immediately realised that girl was Lily Evans. Harry’s mum! She obviously didn’t hate him quite as much as she pretended if they ended up happily married with a son before… she looked at the ground uncertainly. Everyone knew the story where she was, even she did and she was Muggle-Born for crying out loud.  
   
As soon as she started Hogwarts she heard the story. Harry Potter was, after all, in her house and a famous wizard even then. No one had ever survived the Killing Curse before and no one had since. Lily had saved her little baby’s life by sacrificing her own.  
   
James had died that night too. He was on the stairs, trying to give Lily time to run with Harry but it had been useless. There had been nowhere to run.  
   
Sirius Black had been blamed for their murder, for selling their names to the Dark Lord but he had recently been cleared after his own death in the Department of Mysteries. It had been Peter Pettigrew who had sold out his friends. Who had sold their lives to Voldemort out of fear!  
   
It was only Remus that was left now and he had lost all three of his closest friends. James and Sirius were dead while Peter, he was nowhere in sight. Probably hiding out somewhere with old Mouldy Voldy!  
   
April wasn’t even going to pretend to like Pettigrew while she was there but there was something quite adorable about him. It was probably something to do with his height but it also had something to do with the way he followed people around. It was like a stray puppy only not as energetic.  
   
He looked up at her with a smile so she looked away with a slight curl to her lip. He was revolting but, still, quite adorable in his own way. That is, if you like murderous traitors who sell their friends lives away to save their own worthless skins, which she didn’t!  
   
The weird little creep followed like a mule. Like a weasel. Like, well, a rat!  
   
“Where am I going to sleep?” April turned her back on Peter and looked at Remus. He seemed the least threatening of the lot and, since she knew him best, she felt more comfortable talking to him in any case.  
   
Remus shrugged and looked around. A girl by the name of Alice Prewett was just coming into the Common Room. He smiled and nudged James quickly who nodded and walked over to the girl, dragging April behind him.  
   
“Hey Alice,” he smiled silkily. Alice looked up at him with a slightly irritated expression but noticed April and looked at her with open curiosity. “I was wondering if you knew a room our friend April here could sleep? She’ll be here a while but has no room yet.”  
   
Alice looked the new girl over quickly with a small smile. “Lily and I have a spare bed in our room. Will you be needed robes?” She asked quickly.  
   
April looked down at her normal clothes in surprise and remembered the fact that her truck had been right beside her when she ‘fell’. “If that’s okay,” April smiled sheepishly.  
   
“Also,” Sirius put in very quickly. “We’re having another party next weekend to welcome April to Hogwarts. Do you mind spreading the word so there are enough people to actually have some fun?” he asked, even silkier than James.  
   
Nodding, Alice slipped her arm into April’s and pulled her up to the girls’ dorms. Lily was sat on her bed quietly reading when April and Alice stumbled into the room.  
   
Looking around, April was pleasantly surprised to see that even the bedrooms looked the same. The bed she would be sleeping in was even her bed! That was convenient for her.  
   
Lily looked April over quickly and smiled sweetly. “Hey, Alice, who’s this?”  
   
April turned and quickly shook Lily’s hand. “April Mason. It’s nice to meet you Lily.” After looking over the room quickly, April was happily content and slumped back on her bed. She wasn’t sure what to do now. She had nothing with her after all! How was she going to…?  
   
There was a knock at the door and a small book was slipped under the door. Alice picked it up with a puzzled expression and handed it to April. It was the Marauder’s book with a note tapped on the front.  
   
 _Accio! And tapped three times,_ it read strangely.  
   
April shrugged and opened the book. _“Accio trunk!”_ she said, not expecting anything to happen.  
   
Immediately, a small version of her trunk appeared within the pages. It was like a model sat there. _“Engorgio!”_ April smiled and placed her trunk on the floor. Now she had everything she needed.  
   
Alice looked over at her and her mouth popped quietly open. April smiled at the other girl as she retrieved her own Hogwarts robes and quickly slipped into them. Now she was ready for anything.  
   
“I don’t think I’ll be needed your robes now,” she smiled at the other girl.


	3. The Slytherin

April was happily enlisted into a couple classes by Professor Dumbledore that very day. Charms had always been her favourite and she was happy when she found that this would be her first lesson tomorrow with Professor Flitwick.  
   
She skipped to the Great Hall and sat bedside Lily at dinner, waiting for the room to fill up since they were early. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter appeared at the door just then and they smiled happily as they went to sit around April.  
   
“How’s the falling angel then?” Sirius joked as he sat beside her. “You enjoying yourself yet?”  
   
Smiling, April punched him gently in the shoulder and rolled her eyes. “I’ve hung around boys constantly for five and a half years Sirius, don’t try anything or you’ll get a better smack that most could give.”  
   
Lily bit her lip on a laugh at this but Sirius didn’t seem affronted by this. He just smiled as the room filled with more and more people. James looked over April’s head with a slight chuckle and bit his lip as he looked at the table.  
   
“What’s so funny?” Sirius asked quickly.  
   
James’s eyes lit up. “Looks like old Lucius is watching our new friend very carefully over from the Slytherin side.”  
   
April turned around and stared at the boy on the other side of the room. He had long blond hair and a sneer that could only belong to a Slytherin. April had quite liked Draco Malfoy but there was something about Lucius that just screamed evil at her. In fact, she remembered one amusing time in the potions lab after hours with Draco…  
   
“He’s coming over,” Sirius groaned.  
   
April had been staring her at Lucius as she thought about Draco but hadn’t noticed him stand up. Biting back a laugh, she smiled quickly and turned back to the table.  
   
She didn’t really want to be talking to him right now.  
   
Sirius tensed beside her and April quickly placed her hand over his clenched fists. “Don’t do anything stupid,” she whispered as she turned back to Lucius with a sweet smile, removing her hand from Sirius’s.  
   
Lucius was right beside her now and he smiled carefully down at her. He was wearing Slytherin school robes over normal clothes and obviously shouldn’t have been at school anymore. “Who’s your friend, Potter?” he asked James as he looked at April hungrily.  
   
“I can speak for myself,” April said cockily and flicked her hair. It would have looked as if she was trying to seduce him which made her laugh inside.  
   
“Well, of course you can.” He half-laughed.  
   
April held out her hand. “I’m April Mason, Muggle-Born.” She stated bluntly with a quick wink at Sirius.  
   
She knows much more than she’s letting on, Sirius thought to himself as Lucius dropped his hand from hers in slight revulsion but he couldn’t help keeping a small smile on his lips.  
   
Lucius pursed his lips. “You’re Muggle-Born?” he asked uncertainly.  
   
April smiled and batted her eyelids slightly. “Why, is that a problem for a proud Slytherin Pure-Blood like you? Oh well, what a shame.” She turned back to the table.  
   
“Actually,” April felt Lucius’s hand clamp down on her shoulder suddenly. “Maybe it’s not too much of a problem.”  
   
Sirius spun round and looked up at Lucius threateningly. “Actually, I think you should be leaving, Malfoy. Don’t touch her again or you’ll get what’s coming to you.”  
   
Lucius’s lip curled as he looked down at Sirius. “What are you going to do about it, Blood-Traitor?” he hissed.  
   
April stood up in one smooth motion, positioning herself perfectly between Lucius and Sirius. She had her hands behind her back, reaching her left hand carefully into her back pocket as she clenched her right hand into a fist.  
   
“He doesn’t need to do anything,” she said sweetly as she brought her right fist round and punched the Pure-Blood git right in the nose before bringing out one of Fred and George’s black out rocks.  
   
Everything went dark for a minute. When the light came back on, Lucius’s long blond hair had been painted a dozen bright colours and stuck up in all directions. April had vanished from sight.  
   
Lily put her hand to her mouth as she let a small giggle escape from her lips. Alice did the same but James, Sirius, Remus and Peter let out loud peals of laughter. Very soon, everyone had seen the mess Lucius was in and was laughing (accept the Slytherins).  
   
April returned to the dinner table ten minutes later, caring a few dungbombs just in case the Slytherins tried anything on her. She also had her pockets filled with other goodies while she twirled her wand between her fingers.  
   
Sitting back down next to Sirius and Lily, she plucked out a chocolate bar and handed it over to Remus with a smile. “Here,” she smiled happily. “I owe you one or two from earlier after all.” It was a mega-sized bar, not opened yet.  
   
“Thanks,” he chuckled and put it in his robes.  
   
“There’s a full moon coming up this weekend,” she smiled carefully, not meeting Remus’s eyes. “Thought you might need it.”  
   
Remus nodded and bit his lip as he pulled out a book from under the table. Burying his head in it, he was oblivious to the plans April had already resolved in her head. Why not? She thought to herself. She was an Animagi. Why not follow them out and have some real fun once more when the full moon came about at the weekend?  
   
The rest of dinner went without any more hiccups except for a couple issues between Lily and James as he asked her out, again. It surprised April how much she seemed to despise him but she knew how this story ended.  
   
She knew it all. She knew how and when but she wouldn’t say. She couldn’t say. What would happen if she did?  
   
Remus peered over his book at April as she tapped the table with her fingers in a slow rhythm, deep in thought. He watched her fingers gently tap an unfamiliar tune. The girl confused him after all, she knew things. She knew things about the future. He also felt guilty. It was his fault she was here…  
   
“Moony?” James chuckled as he elbowed him in the ribs. April blinked and looked up into Remus’s eyes as he blushed a deep crimson. James felt his eyebrow rise but he shook his head as he took the book from Remus’s hand. “Please stop reading that stuff for a while. It stresses me out.”  
   
Peter said nothing as he looked down at the table. He was tracing little patterns the wood made. A wand, a star, a lightning bolt. Sirius barked out a small laugh as he hit Peter’s hand. It slapped against the wood and Peter flinched.  
   
“What was that for?” April asked in slight annoyance. She hated Peter and everything but Sirius was supposed to be his friend.  
   
Sirius shrugged. “Wormy should learn not to draw on the tables. It’s rude.”  
   
April blinked. “And you’re not I suppose?”  
   
“I, ma’am,” Sirius smiled in mock bravado. “I am a gentleman. I am never rude.”  
   
Lily frowned and let out a quiet laugh. “Yeah, everyone knows how ‘nice’ Sirius can be. Well, if you’re good-looking or a female with a heartbeat in any case.”  
   
Sirius looked away from the table and April clucked. “Are you jealous or something Lily?” she asked with a smile. She like Lily but April still remembered the fact that Sirius had saved her from certain death earlier that day.  
   
Lily put her hand to her heart. “Oh, of course I’m jealous.” She laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be? James is always hitting on me but Sirius,” she sighed and pretended to look to the sky in silent wonder, “Sirius has never asked me.”  
   
“Ladies man huh?” she winked and elbowed Sirius gently in the ribs and laughed. “No wonder you stopped me from going splat on the Quidditch Pitch.”  
   
Sirius felt himself flush and heard James exclaim, “Blimey! What’ve you done to him April? Sirius Black, blushing? Now I’ve seen everything…”


	4. Hogsmeade

trick very quickly and would leave a number of galleons on the countertop to pay for most of it.  
   
Once her shopping was done she hid her goods in the One-eyed Witch passage before going over to the Three Broomsticks. Slipping in the door, April jumped up on the counter and started gently scratching at the Firewhisky pedal.  
   
The bartender laughed as April rolled under the flowing Fawcett, lapped up some of the drink and ran quietly from the pub. No one would ever question a cat doing that but if April had been human, someone would have kicked her out for both drinking underage and not paying for the drink.  
   
The dog version of Sirius Black was sat in the tunnels when she returned. He was sniffing around her bag in clear curiosity. He didn’t notice as she slunk up beside him.  
   
“Honestly Sirius,” she mewed. He jumped a little but turned toward her with a smile. “Do you have to be so nosy?”  
   
Padfoot barked a short laugh quietly and shook his shaggy head. “You gave me a fright there, kitten. It wasn’t funny,” he said as he bounded up to her and pinned her gently on the floor once more.  
   
Shaking her head, the brown cat groaned. “Please could you get off me Sirius?”  
   
He shook his head and licked her furry cheek. “Nope, it’s Padfoot, kitten. Sirius isn’t here right now, come back later if you want to see him.”  
   
Rolling her eyes, April rolled under him and gently nipped his paw. Yelping quietly, Padfoot stepped a few steps back up against the other wall.  
   
“I don’t like being pinned under a dog,” April said as she shook her fur quickly and proceeded in licking herself clean from the dog smell that now covered her. Whiskers twitching, she tried to get as much of the smell off her as she could.  
   
Padfoot watched with his head cocked to the side and his paw limp. “You bit me kitten,” he sounded surprised.  
   
April turned her large eyes on him and partially groaned. “Please don’t call me ‘kitten’. I’m not a kitten after all. I’m a fully grown cat.”  
   
“You’re not that big,” laughed the much larger dog. He grinned a happy grin and lay down, his chin resting under his crossed front paws. “Well then, what about Whiskers?”  
   
“Oh,” April sounded slightly exasperated at this. “That’s not very original now, is it Padfoot?”  
   
Grinning even more, he looked up into her eyes. “Okay, how about Night-Eyes?” he asked simply as he cocked his head once more to the side, waiting for a reaction.  
   
“That could work,” she purred. Slipping the bag back over her head, she started down the tunnel. Padfoot didn’t follow so she turned to look at him. “Aren’t you coming Padfoot?” April asked in confusion.  
   
He shrugged slightly and shook out his fur before changing back into the rather tall, Sirius Black. Taking the bag off her neck, he started down the tunnel at a brisk walk.  
   
They arrived back at Hogwarts and went up to the Gryffindor Commons. April was no longer in her cat form as they entered through the portal hole. They sat down beside the fire and started looking through the bag.  
   
It looked as if she had brought one of pretty much everything in the shop for a very good discounted price. Pulling out various exploding pots and forged letters, April smiled at her prizes. She definitely had enough to keep her prankster reputation up, even here!  
   
A group of ten girls had congregated around April and Sirius while they looked through the bag. April looked over Sirius’s shoulder at them quizzically. They were whispering amongst themselves and April sighed.  
   
She knew what they were doing. Sirius Black was by far the most handsome boy in school, she had only been there a couple days and that was obvious. Girls always surrounded him but he never did anything about it. He didn’t even really seem to notice it.  
   
Slinging the bag over her shoulder, April turned to Sirius. “Can we go somewhere else? You’ve got admirers watching again.” She whispered.  
   
Sirius turned round and waved at the girls quickly. Many of them started to hyperventilate while a couple fainted. April shook her head with a small laugh escaping from her lips.  
   
Grabbing her hand, Sirius headed up toward the boys’ dorms. No one was in his room when they got there so April presumed the other ‘Marauders’ were still somewhere in Hogsmeade.  
   
Emptying the bag on the floor, she started a thorough count of her inventory. Shaking her head sadly, April groaned. “It’s a shame Fred and George aren’t here. They would have some of their untested products to throw in for the laughs.”  
   
“Fred and George?” Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows.  
   
April nodded. “They’re my closest friends at Hogwarts. Kings of the troublemakers in their own rights. Even more so than you guys are.” She exclaimed with a smile.  
   
Sirius sat forward at this. “I don’t think so. We _made_ a map which shows everyone in Hogwarts; anytime, anywhere, anyhow. We mess with _everyone_ and James and I are always in detention because of it. How could they beat that?”  
   
Smiling, April counted off her fingers. “They have _memorised_ your darling map, they stole it from Filch’s office in their first year. They rarely get into trouble; they’re _that_ good at what they do. They mess with _literally_ everyone, properly. They even messed with a lady by the name of Professor Umbridge. She was at school for less than a year and she banned all of their products. I didn’t mention that, did I?” April said with a bigger smile. “They make, produce and now _sell_ their own products for mischief makers.”  
   
“Okay,” Sirius said grumpily. “I’ll give them some points. This Umbridge though, would that be Dolores Umbridge?” he asked mischievously.  
   
April nodded. “Why?”  
   
“We got her last year. Point to the Marauders!” He sang.  
   
April shook her head with a snicker but went back to counting her products. She had everything she needed for some simple tricks but not enough for anything serious. She had about twenty more packets of black out dust and a few hooters but nothing that would make her known properly.  
   
Then again, after her little trick on Lucius Malfoy, she was already known at Hogwarts. This was so she would be remembered. Remembered by _two_ generations!  
   
Sirius pulled out the Marauder’s Map and quickly searched for his friends. They had to be coming back by now. He smiled as he put the map aside and lay back on his bed.  
   
“Why so happy?” April asked.  
   
“The boys are on their way up.” He said simply.  
   
Sure enough, James and Remus came into the room laughing with Peter close behind under a minute later. April kept her head down as she wrote a quick inventory list on a piece of parchment Sirius had passed to her. James didn’t notice her sat, cross legged on the floor and tripped over as she stuck her leg out quickly.  
   
Biting on a laugh, Remus quickly helped him back to his feet. Sirius didn’t even pretend it wasn’t funny. He was rolling around his bed in hysterics.  
   
James looked at her with a smile. “What are you doing in here then?” he asked with a quick look at Sirius.  
   
“Checking supplies,” April said, rolling her eyes. Yeah, because she would be doing something with a boy she hardly knew. What was she, a Slytherin slut?  
   
“She’s got a lot in there.” Sirius said with a smile.  
   
April whipped her head round at him in surprise. Could he really have meant that as an innuendo? Well, from the look on his face it definitely seemed as if he did. Pulling out her wand, she quickly turned on him, boils erupting all over him.  
   
“And I used to think you were quite a looker,” April smiled sweetly as she picked up her bag and pranced out the room. He had definitely deserved that one.  
   
Quickly running over to the girls’ dorms, April went up to her room and put away her new toys. Her trunk was practically full with prank starters now but there was something pressing on her mind. She was worried about what she had just done to Sirius. He was sure to get back at her but she didn’t know how. She didn’t know his style –


	5. Party Plans

“Hey April,” Alice and Lily said in unison as they came into the room. Lily smiled at her, “A week until the party. Can’t wait.” Her smile faltered as she looked at April’s worried expression. “What’s wrong?”  
   
Laughing bitterly, April recounted the last things that happened before she left the boys’ dorm. Alice started laughing loudly while Lily bit back a smile.  
   
“You did _what_ to Sirius Black?” Alice laughed until tears started to flow down her cheeks.  
   
“I used _Furnunculus_ on him.” April beamed. If they could laugh about it then surely it wasn’t so bad. Whatever Sirius did to her now would be fine as long as she made people laugh about what she had done.  
   
Lily shook her head. “Wow, you’ve got it coming to you if you managed to mess up his look. Very vain is Sirius. Likes his appearance maybe a bit too much.”  
   
Shrugging, April twirled a wand around her knuckles. “He had it coming. Anyway,” she looked at Lily with mild interest. “Why won’t you date James Potter?” she said simply.  
   
“Excuse me?” Lily seemed taken aback by the questions.  
   
April kept twirling her wand and looked back down at it as it span. “Why won’t you date James Potter? I mean, he’s a Gryffindor hero to most but you seem to treat him like he isn’t. I just wondered why?”  
   
Lily swallowed as April looked back up at her. “He’s a vile person,” Lily said simply, head high. “Picking on people and hexing them just because he can. It’s wrong! Not to mention how he still treats Severus Snape.”  
   
Alice looked at Lily in surprise. “You haven’t spoken to old Snape for a year now,” she pointed out.  
   
“Well, he should learn how to speak about people then. Not to mention finding some proper friends. Macnair and his friends are horrid people, worse than Potter and Black.” Lily whispered, pulling a lock of ginger hair behind her ear.  
   
April smiled and winked at Alice. It was obvious that Lily didn’t hate James as much as she was trying to make out. Instead, to change the atmosphere, April turned to Alice.  
   
“What sorts of things happen at their parties?”  
   
Alice rolled her eyes as she fell back on her bed, pulling out a teen wizarding magazine. “The usual stuff but they like playing new games. Someone recently taught them spin the bottle. Muggle games get them all excited.”  
   
April laughed. “I’m guessing no one told them about seven minutes in heaven then?” she teased.  
   
“Oh God!” Lily laughed. “Could you imagine what would happen then? We would all be in a ton of trouble with those guys, wouldn’t we?”  
   
They laughed at this thought until dinner when they went down to the Great Hall. They were still laughing quietly amongst themselves when the Marauders walked in.  
   
April was happy to see that Sirius had no boils anymore but Remus was still deeply immersed in his book. Did that guy ever stop reading? James spotted April sat halfway down the table and dragged the others to sit around her.  
   
“How’s everything then?” James asked her as he sat beside her. Sirius sat opposite with Remus while Peter was on the other side of James (presumably, April couldn’t actually see him. He was too small).  
   
April smiled. “Everything’s good, just a little bored.” She shrugged and started tapping out a rhythm on the table.  
   
Remus watched her tap again; it was a soothing melody in his eyes. Something that would change later tonight. He ate a piece of chocolate then went back to reading, listening to April tapping her own little tune.  
   
“Shame you can’t spend some time with us tonight, hey Night-Eyes?” Sirius smiled a cheeky smile.  
   
April blinked then rolled her eyes. It was full moon, of course. “Well,” April pursed her lips and opened them with a small popping noise. “I’m not busy tonight.”  
   
James looked between them and laughed. To everyone else, what was just said would sound very much like they would be doing something very wrong but that wasn’t it at all. If the Slytherins had heard there would have definitely been words between everyone. Insinuations could only be taken so far with most people.  
   
Lily gasped in surprise at what had just been said. “April!” she exclaimed.  
   
“What?” April asked, confusion written on her face.  
   
“I thought you didn’t like Black in _that_ way,” Lily whispered back.  
   
Blinking, April thought about what was just said. Okay, perhaps that was the way she should have put it but Sirius had started it. “I didn’t mean that!” she hissed and gave Sirius a look that could kill.  
   
“Then what did you mean, kitten?” Sirius asked, taking her hand in his and winking at her.  
   
Snatching her hand back April shook her head in irritation. “You know _exactly_ what I meant, Padfoot!” she hissed and sharply kicked his shin under the table.  
   
He gave a small yelp and April smiled sweetly, shrugging when he looked at her in surprise. The rest of dinner went by with April diligently ignoring Sirius while talking animatedly to both Lily and Alice about the party next weekend.  
   
“Wait,” April held up her hand in surprise. “Only Gryffindors? What about the other houses?” she asked.  
   
Lily shrugged so April turned to James. “We have it in the Gryffindor Commons. Only Gryffindors _can_ come.” He said simply, without emotion.  
   
Rolling her eyes, April looked at Sirius. “Give me the map,” she said simply. Sirius looked at her in surprise but handed it over without a word. Pulling out her wand, she whispered quietly, _“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!”_  
   
The Marauder’s Map came to life in front of their eyes. Lily and Alice turned to look at it in surprise.  
   
“What is that?” Lily asked.  
   
James smiled. “The Marauder’s Map. We made it over the last two years, compiling all our knowledge of Hogwarts into it. A masterpiece, if I do say so myself.”  
   
“And he does,” Remus laughed. He quickly looked around the table but no one else was paying any attention to them. “Try not to get it confiscated,” he warned April.  
   
Nodding, April trailed her finger up to a small piece of wall. Tapping it, she turned to James. “I presume you of all people are aware of the existence of the Room of Requirement?” she asked with a smile.  
   
James nodded. “Of course.”  
   
“Get as many people as you can to come here then. We can have everyone coming then. Perhaps we should only make everyone of fifteen and up though. It might be problematic otherwise,” April said thoughtfully.  
   
Sirius turned to her. “Everyone in their last two years of school?” he asked in surprise.  
   
April nodded but thought quickly. “Unless they have older friends who can vouch for them.” Looking around the room, April spotted a group of sixth and seven the year Ravenclaws looking through school books. “I’ll be right back,” she smiled and left the table.  
   
With her hands deep in her pockets, April strolled over to the table and cleared her throat. Immediately the group of female’s looked up from their books in surprise.  
   
“Hey,” April smiled and pointed over to where her friends were sat, watching her. “Me and my friends are having a party next weekend, all hush-hush though since we don’t want to let the teachers knowing the plan. Perhaps you guys would like to come. It’s for sixth and seventh years only and will be louds of fun.”  
   
One of the girls smiled. “Sound like fun, I’m Dana by the way.”  
   
“April Mason,” April smiled, shaking the girl’s hand quickly. Dana quickly spoke through the plans with April and they became quick friends, agreeing on talking to the others and getting everything set for next week.  
   
April also went to the Hufflepuff table and did the same thing with a group of the boys. A boy by the name of Thomas seemed very keen and promised to get others together in time for next week. He even said he could get the music sorted for her easily enough.  
   
The last table she went to was the Slytherin table. She wasn’t sure who to approach at this table so thought _what the heck_ and went to sit herself down next to Lucius Malfoy.  
   
He was talking to a group of slightly younger Slytherins and didn’t notice April until she tapped him gently on the shoulder. His hair still had some red and gold streaks and he didn’t look remotely happy at having a Gryffindor sat beside him at the Slytherin table.  
   
“What do you want?” he hissed, grabbing for his wand.  
   
April nudged his elbow so he couldn’t move his arm with a sweet smile and quickly stroked her wand over his head. Pulling out a small hand mirror, she showed him his long _blond_ hair. “Sorry about that but you aren’t a nice person, Mr Malfoy.” She said with a flutter of her eyelids.  
   
Looking around the table, April saw a boy opposite her with a long crooked nose and greasy black hair falling over his face in curtains. Something about him seemed remarkably familiar.  
   
“There’s a party,” April said to the table at whole before turning back to Lucius. “Next Saturday. I presumed you guys might like to come along. Perhaps some other time then?”  
   
She started to get up but Lucius grabbed her arm and pulled her back down beside him roughly. “Wait one minute,” he smiled. “A party?”  
   
April pulled her arm from his grasp. “Of course, I’m new here and a few of my friends thought it would be fun. It was going to be only Gryffindors allowed but where’s the fun it that?” she smiled.  
   
“When and where?” Lucius asked.  
   
Biting her lip, April shook her head. “I’m not telling you yet, you might go tell someone. I actually am inviting you but, knowing you Slytherins, you’ll not want the drink or to play the games. You’ll ruin it.”  
   
“Drink?” one of them asked while another said, “games?”  
   
April nodded. “Firewhisky at least and a few fun Muggle games like spin the bottle or seven minutes in heaven. Whatever really.”  
   
Lucius looked down at her with a smile. “We’ll come and we won’t ruin it for you. It sounds like a little too much fun to ruin. How do we get to this party then?”  
   
“Well,” April pursed her lips and was just about to give them directions when Lily appeared at her shoulder. “I’m not so sure this is a good idea, April.” She warned.  
   
Shrugging once more, April looked over at the boy with the crooked nose and greasy hair. She turned to him with a smile. “Hey, I’ll give you directions to the party after Defence on Friday, okay?” she asked quickly. The boy nodded but didn’t meet her eyes. April turned back to Lucius with a smile before leaving quickly.  
   
Lily walked quickly back to the table as April wondered about the boy. He seemed very familiar and she had seen him in both her Potions lessons and her Defence lessons. He was very good at Potions but not as great at Defence.  
   
“Snivellus?” James asked, with wide eyes. “You’re giving the directions to Snivellus Snape?”  
   
Lily shot him a reproachful look but said nothing. April laughed quietly. She had pointed the boy out to James as they left the Great Hall and started back up to the Gryffindor Commons. She supposed it could have been her ‘favourite Professor’ but she didn’t ever see him being like that.  
   
After all, April had thought he was quite cute in a dorky kind of way. He did have the look of him as Snape though and as he walked from the room with his robes flying after him, see noticed he walked the same too.  
   
 _Ew!_ She thought to herself.


	6. Night-Eyes

So, ‘her’ party was in the making. April spent the next couple hours sat with James planning what would be needed but, as the sun went down, Remus became worried and still. Sirius and Peter led him out the commons.  
   
April watched them leave and turned to James, not meeting his eye. “Do you guys want me to come with you tonight? I really don’t have anything better to do.”  
   
James smiled and nodded. “I think you should, Night-Eyes.” he chuckled at the look on her face.  
   
She was shocked that she had so quickly became a member of their little group and was extremely happy to have been accepted so readily. They went over a few more plans until Lily came down the stairs.  
   
“April,” she called. Very few people were left in the common room now but it was dark and the fire had gone out. April and James sat silently as Lily came over to them. “April, you should be in bed by now.” She scowled.  
   
“Actually,” April said, looking at her watch. It read just passed eleven o’clock. “I would rather come to bed a little later tonight. I’ll come up soon Lily. I’ve got to finish this though or the party will be really boring.”  
   
Lily turned to James who smiled up at her and ruffled the back of his hair. April rolled her eyes at this but Lily quickly turned and walked up to her room.  
   
April laughed at his expression when he turned back to her. She winked and messed his hair up further. “Honestly James,” she chuckled. “That’s either a lost cause or you need to show you’re a bit more mature. Up to you boy.”  
   
“Really?” he asked and April nodded. “Really!”  
   
James looked at her with a slight smile on his face and leant forward, planting a quick kiss on her lips. April blinked, not quite sure what to think and shook her head, rolling her eyes. James pulled her to her feet.  
   
“We better get going,” he said quickly and threw his invisibility cloak over the both of them.  
   
April felt his arms holding up the cloak and quickly moved as far from him as she could (which wasn’t exactly easy since the cloak was fairly small). She quickly brought up her hand then and tickled the inside of his elbow until the cloak fell around them.  
   
He tried to stifle his laugh but couldn’t as April further attacked him. As he gasped for air, she bent down and kissed him quickly on the cheek before getting up and stepping away from him.  
   
“You like Lily,” she accused. “So don’t kiss me. I would much rather be your friend and _Lily_ wouldn’t think it very mature of you.”  
   
James was still gasping for breath as he got unsteadily to his feet. “You’re right,” he smiled at her. “But, I had to do that before Sirius tried. It wasn’t to annoy Lily; it was to annoy Padfoot, April.”  
   
April smiled at this and quickly slipped her arm into his. “Why didn’t you say so?’ she asked as she pulled the cloak into her arms and half pulled him toward the Whomping Willow tree.  
   
They got halfway across the grounds when they heard howling and quickly shifted into animal form. April jumped up on James’ newly formed antlers and felt as he started off at a run toward the tree.  
   
April blinked as she saw the scene in front of her. Remus was half in human form and half in wolf form but he seemed highly confused. Sirius was gently nudging him toward the small hole under the tree but Remus was now so strong like that so he wasn’t budging much.  
   
Hopping from his back, April watched as James joined the push and managed to finally get him down into the passage way. April followed them while Peter had seemingly disappeared.  
   
They made it to the Shrieking Shack just as a nearby clock chimed midnight. April saw as Remus finally shifted into a full blown werewolf and howled loudly, shaking the foundations of the old building.  
   
“Jesus Moony!” Sirius barked as he rested his front paws on Remus’s legs. “It’ll be okay. Just tonight, tomorrow and the day after. Three days, remember? You know who we are, don’t you Moony? Remember your old friends, Padfoot and Prongs? What about Night-Eyes? Remember her?”  
   
April strolled up to the werewolf who was looking around in worry. His teeth were barred and he looked as if he was about to bite Sirius but Sirius didn’t looked fazed. He simply sat there, looking up at his friend with concern.  
   
April gently jumped on the table beside where Remus was sat and licked him gently on the cheek. He turned to her in surprise. “How’s it going Moony?” she said playfully and rolled over so her four paws were in the air and her head hung off the side. Her tail was gently swinging from side-to-side behind her.  
   
James appeared beside her, his antlers tangled in the cobwebs hanging around the ceiling. “Jeez, Moony.” He said as he shook the cobwebs free. “How about we go have some fun? No need to stay in here, is there?”  
   
“Suppose not,” the werewolf groaned and gently stroked April’s stomach. “Where shall we go Prongs?”  
   
Sirius looked around quickly. “Where’s Wormtail?”  
   
A small pattering of feet could be heard coming toward them and the small rat form of Peter Pettigrew appeared with a small bar of chocolate in his mouth. He dropped it at Remus’s feet. “You forgot this!” he squeaked as his whiskers twitched.  
   
Looking down at him, April wondered for a moment what must have went through his head when Peter sold his friends’ lives to Lord Voldemort. He actually seemed rather nice like this. In fact, right now he looked rather delicious to April but she kept herself still.  
   
Peter saw the brown cat watching him and his eyes went wide with fear. Quickly running behind Sirius, he watched the cat carefully.  
   
“Why so jumpy Wormtail?” Sirius barked happily as he turned back to April. “It’s only Night-Eyes.”  
   
“Who?” Peter squeaked with fear.  
   
April lithely jumped down from the table and lay down in front of him. She licked his nose quickly and Peter jumped back in fear, bringing his paws up to clean the cat smell from his little pink nose and whiskers.  
   
“April Mason,” April smiled eyes wide with laughter. “If I wanted to eat you, _Wormtail_ , I would have by now.”  
   
“Oh,” the rat smiled as he came back out from behind Sirius. He nodded and jumped up to sit on James shoulders as they prepared to leave the shack.  
   
They started down toward the Black Lake laughing loudly. If anyone looked out of their dorm windows, out across the school grounds, they would have seen a brown cat being chased down the lawns by a shaggy black dog while a werewolf was following behind munching on chocolate and a stag carrying a rat on its back pranced around the wolf.  
   
It was quite a sight but no one was watching them. It was passed midnight, most people were asleep. Padfoot pounced, sending Night-Eyes flying. They rolled over each other until Night-Eyes felt water on her back and hurriedly ran up a tree. Padfoot laughed huskily as he sat at the bottom of the tree happily.  
   
Lying down with her paws out in front of her, Night-Eyes watched the dog below her cock his head to the side and his tongue lolled cheekily out the side of his mouth. He was up to something that much was obvious…  
   
“Leave her alone Padfoot,” Prongs said as he came up behind his friend and lifted him gently off the floor using his antlers. “She’s not interested.”  
   
Night-Eyes felt her tail twitch as she sat up on her hind legs once more. “What aren’t I interested in?” she asked.  
   
Moony looked up at her and shook his head as Prongs let a smile spread across his features. “Sirius is _very_ interested in certain ‘aspects’ of you Night-Eyes,” he said thoughtfully. “Very interested indeed!”  
   
Her tail twitched in agitation now as she looked down at Padfoot. He didn’t meet her eyes but she could see that he was smiling. Moony was very quiet now, watching what was happening with wide eyes.  
   
“Really?” Night-Eyes said with a hint of something else, maybe a bit of sarcasm etched with a tinge of hate. Her tail twitched again. “Well, from what I’ve seen and heard perhaps he should just go and find another girl. Isn’t that what he usually does when _one_ says no to him?”  
   
Prongs chuckled. “They don’t usually say no!”  
   
“Well, I am.” She said and hopped down from the tree lithely before running back up to the school. Sneaking up the staircases in cat form, Night-Eyes made it to the Gryffindor commons without any interruptions.  
   
Padfoot looked up at Prongs in surprise. “Why did you say that?” he asked in shock as he untangled his body from Prongs’ antlers.  
   
Prongs shrugged. “She deserved to now that you liked her.” He said simply.  
   
Rolling his eyes, Padfoot pointed a paw at Moony. “Moony likes her two, or have you forgotten? I’m not planning on doing _anything_ with that girl since Moony likes her. you should know that by now!” he exclaimed and headed back for the castle.  
   
“Padfoot’s right, in a way.” Moony said quietly as he bit off another piece of chocolate. “I do like her, Prongs. But I wish Padfoot would hurry up and ask her out. I can’t after all.”  
   
“You could ask her,” Prongs said.  
   
Peter nodded in agreement.  
   
“Only if I want to risk hurting her,” Moony said with a shrug. “I would rather Padfoot was happy. Anyway, she’ll only be here as long as it takes for us to figure out how to get her home. That’s my priority for her.”  
   
Prongs nodded. “Perhaps you’re right,” he smiled.


	7. Dogs and Bras

Sirius ran up the stairs to the Gryffindor commons as in his animagus form but he hadn’t come across April yet. He wondered if what James had said would be a problem between them but he would explain to her… he would tell her he wasn’t thinking… he would tell her about Remus?  
   
Actually, Sirius didn’t know what he was going to do. It was a bit of a problem but he had to find her first in any case which was proving an issue. He snuck into the commons and looked around.  
   
He sniffed the air and groaned. She had went up to her room, figures she would do that, he thought to himself. Sirius hadn’t tried going up to the girls’ dorms, not since last time.  
   
For a moment, he thought about turning round and going back to join his friends in the Forbidden Forest but decided it was now or never. He pushed the door open with his nose and started to climb the staircase. Nothing happened; perhaps since he was in animal form the school didn’t recognise him as a ‘boy’.  
   
Peering into each room as he passed, he came to one which smelt right and stepped inside. He made very little noise as he approached the bed.  
   
April was lying on her bed with her hands behind her head, staring up at the ceiling. Why were boys so obnoxious? First, James had kissed her to annoy Sirius. What had he said? _I had to do it before Sirus tried_ … great, that made her feel better!  
   
Secondly, she had noticed the boys watching her since she had ended up in this time. Remus continually shifted his eyes to look at her then away. Peter stared at her opened mouthed like he had never seen (or spoken to) a girl before. James seemed to think it was fun to mess with her and Sirius… well, what could she say about Sirius?  
   
Thirdly, she didn’t want to be here! How could she like any of them in any way other than a friend if she was waiting to go home? Where they all stupid or something?  
   
April heard a soft noise at the end of her bed and watched as a black shape jumped up by her feet. It walked slowly up to her. It almost seemed, nervous.  
   
Realising it was a dog, April chuckled. Sirius had somehow found a way up to her room and was walking over to her, literally, with his tail between his legs. He came up to her and dropped to his paws, his eyes looking up at her.  
   
Stretching out her hand, she scratched the back of his ear. “Good boy,” she whispered, kissing the top of his shaggy head. “Sorry I ran off.”  
   
He nodded and closed his eyes. Sirius’s tail wagged happily as she kept stroking his head softly. It felt good to him, knowing April didn’t hate him. he quickly fell asleep as did April, not waking up until a surprised sound came from across the room.  
   
Sirius’s head pricked up quickly as he looked over at the other side of the room. Lily Potter was awake and was looking at him in surprise.  
   
“April,” she said loudly.  
   
April sat up so fast her head spun. “What is it Lily?” she asked, shocked to be woken up on a Sunday at a normal time. She would normally sleep until lunch then take another nap later in the day.  
   
“There’s a _dog_ on your bed.” Lily said in surprise.  
   
“Oh, yeah.” April said, draping her arm over Sirius’s doggy shoulders. He turned and licked her hand quickly, there was a cut there she hadn’t noticed. “Um, this is Snuffles. He’s my dog but I let him wander a lot. Dumbledore was fine with him being here. Roaming the school.” She finished lamely.  
   
Lily seemed to believe it though. With a shrug, she stripped down into her underwear to get changed for the day. April saw Sirius’s tongue loll out his mouth and his eyes widen as he let out a small bark.  
   
Shaking her head, she leant down to whisper in his ear, “You’ve got something to get back at James now.”  
   
He nodded with a smile. Lily turned to them as she pulled her shirt over her bra and shook her head. “You have a happy dog there. Anyone would think he was enjoying watching someone get changed.” She laughed.  
   
Very quickly, April saw Sirius wink at her before jumping off her bed and bounding over to Lily. He licked her once on the face then jumped up to her drawers. He picked up a bra then ran from the room. It all happened very quickly.  
   
April laughed but Lily looked shocked. “Your dog stole one of my bras!” she exclaimed. This led April to laugh even more at the thought of Sirius brandishing one of Lily’s bras.  
   
Jesus, James would wonder what had been going on…  
   
Alice was already down in commons with a boy by the name of Frank Longbottom when April and Lily made their way down for breakfast.  
   
“Hey, Alice?” Lily asked as she slumped down on an armchair beside her. “Did you see a dog run through here?”  
   
Alice looked surprised but Frank Longbottom looked at her with a smile. “This dog; was he quite big with shaggy black fur and a bra by any chance?” he asked quickly.  
   
Lily laughed. “That would be him.”  
   
Frank bit down on a laugh as he looked at the three girls around him. “I think, and this is only a hunch remember, I _think_ he went up to the boys’ dormitories. He was certainly heading that way anyway.”  
   
Lily’s eyes went wide while April laughed lightly. So, Sirius had went back to his room with Lily’s bra? That seemed about right to her.  
   
“I think I know where he went then,” April said quickly and ran from the room toward the boys’ dorms. She heard Frank say she wasn’t allowed up there but she ignored him, it wasn’t the same thing as when boys wanted to visit a girl.  
   
She ran full pelt up toward the boys’ room. April could hear raised voices form inside and a scuffling. Without thinking, she opened the door and stepped inside.  
   
All four boys looked at her with wide eyes. Blushing a deep crimson, April turned around and clamped her hands over her eyes. Sirius was in his underwear, holding Lily’ bra high over James’s bed while James and Remus (also only in their underwear) were jumping and trying to get it. Peter was nowhere in sight.  
   
“Sorry,” April said, heading for the door.  
   
She heard Sirius laugh as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “What’s wrong?” he whispered in her ear. “Never seen three boys in their underwear fighting over a bra? You’ve never lived, kitten.”  
   
April shook her head and stepped out of his arms. James and Remus were pulling on their trousers as she looked at Sirius in surprise. He, for some reason, seemed quite content on strutting around in only his underpants.  
   
“I should have knocked before I came in,” April apologised to James and Remus, trying not to look at Sirius.  
   
Well, that was actually surprisingly hard to do but she tried all the same. April could feel the heat in her cheeks as she rested one hand against it for a second. Looking anywhere else, April spotted Lily’s bra now hung over the edge of the bed.  
   
She laughed, “Lily was rather surprised when you took that, Sirius.”  
   
“Sirius?” Sirius asked quickly, with a bright smile. “I thought I was your dog ‘Snuffles’?” he laughed more and April felt her cheeks burn brighter.  
   
Remus shook his head. “You shouldn’t have been up in the girls’ dormitories anyway Padfoot. You know the rules.”  
   
“Yeah, I _know_ them.” Sirius still had the same smile on his face as he threw a small pillow at Remus. Without any effort, Remus caught it and sent it flying back. it hit Sirius square in the jaw.  
   
“Well,” Remus laughed as Sirius rubbed his jaw. “Learn to abide by them then.”  
   
Shaking her head, April called over her shoulder at them. “I’m going down to breakfast. See you guys later.”


	8. Padfoot's Confession

April spent the day with Lily and Alice but disappeared after dinner up to the boys’ dorms. Peter was still nowhere to be seen but James said he was collecting supplies so she didn’t ask many questions about it.  
   
As it started to get dark, they all made their way out of the castle and down toward the Shrieking Shack. Moony was a lot less uncoordinated that night and they spent most of their time running happily around the grounds.  
   
It was nice. Moony was happy with the company while Night-Eyes was just happy to be having some fun for once. It was different, having fun as a cat, than the normal fun she was used to having with Fred and George Weasley. But, it was also the same in some aspects.  
   
Wormtail appeared as they all made their way back up to the castle as the moon set in the sky. Moony returned to his happy, human self and Peter was sat waiting for them on the steps up to school. He had a small bag in his arm which he passed to James with a smile.  
   
Looking inside, James patted Peter on his back before walking back into school with him. Remus followed close behind (eating more chocolate. April was starting to wonder why he liked chocolate so much).  
   
As she started up the steps behind them, Sirius grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back toward him. “Hey,” he smiled happily.  
   
“What Sirius?” April sighed and didn’t look up at him. her arms were pressed tightly against his chest in a position that meant she was unable to move. April had had just about enough of Sirius acting like this now.  
   
Since that morning, he kept popping up and pulling her in cupboards. It was funny the first couple times but now she was getting tired of it. After all, she hardly knew him but she did know his reputation already. That was no clean reputation either! It was dirty, very dirty…  
   
Anyway, she didn’t like him that way. She didn’t like _any_ of them that way. It was just a bit annoying having him act like this when April was hoping to get home anytime soon.  
   
Remus had promised he was looking for ways to get her home but he had still had no luck. She had been there for, what, four or five days now? It was a little odd, knowing that she should be elsewhere but actually being in the same place at the same time.  
   
In fact, she realised sadly, she was likely to miss her own sixteenth birthday. That was coming up that Saturday, during the party. April hadn’t told anyone this but she knew it now. It was April the tenth here on Saturday, her birthday (technically). In her eyes, that meant she was turning sixteen.  
   
Sirius looked at her carefully. “I’m sorry,” he said simply. “I’m sorry about last night.”  
   
April felt her eyebrows raise. “Why?” she asked.  
   
“Well,” Sirius smiled and moved a strand of her hair out of her face. “I acted rudely and should have told how I felt rather than let Prongs put it in such a bad way. That and I shouldn’t have ever slept with you last night. Not as a dog.”  
   
April shook her head. “I like you as a dog, Padfoot, but I don’t _like_ you. I hardly know you and -”  
   
She felt his lips gently touch hers and she stopped talking in shock. He pulled away after a second and let her go. “So, I think I’ve made my own feelings clear now.” Sirius smiled as he walked back up into the castle.  
   
Shaking her head, April used the passages around the school to get back up to her room. She had only a couple hours sleep before she had to go to lessons and found herself being shaken awake by Lily.  
   
“You’re going to be late for charms if you don’t get up now!” Lily said. “April, for crying out loud, wake up!”  
   
Rolling over April looked up at Lily and Alice with hooded eyes. she nodded and quickly rushed to get change. Half-asleep, April managed to make it down to charms but promptly fell into a light sleep.  
   
It was the end of the lesson by the time she was woken up by a rather irritated looking Professor Flitwick. “Detention Miss Mason!” he squeaked.  
   
Giving him a quick salute, April went off to her other couple lessons before trailing back to the charms classroom after dinner. April was wide awake by now and sat down at the front of the room, waiting for the Professor to arrive.  
   
She heard footsteps behind her and turned in time to see James and Sirius walk slowly up the room toward her. Both were talking quietly to each other with large grins on their faces. They had done something but April didn’t know what.  
   
Sirius beamed as he spotted April and she quickly ducked her head, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. Hearing the chairs either side of her move, she stared at the table.  
   
“April?” James chuckled. “You still are coming with us tonight then? It’s the last day for Moony’s ‘furry little secret’. You’d have to wait a month for another.”  
   
“I hopefully won’t be here in a month,” April sighed. Sirius and James each look at her in confusion. She didn’t too happy about the possibility of leaving, or maybe they just hoped she didn’t.  
   
Sirius tapped the table gently. “Well, are you coming tonight or not then?” he asked quickly.  
   
“No,” April shook her head. “I would like too but I’ve been too tired and we have a week of school before I turn sixteen so -”  
   
“It’s your sixteenth next week?” James beamed.  
   
“Technically,” April turned to him with a slight smile pulling at the corners of her lips. “My birthday’s on April the 10th, this Saturday.”  
   
Sirius lay back on his chair so the two back legs were swinging slightly as he put his feet up on the desk. He was looking over April’s chair at James with a lazy smile. “We’re going to need a cake for her party then. Didn’t realise we were throwing a party like this!”  
   
James nodded. “I’ll tell old wormy to sort it out.”  
   
April blanked out then as she leant forward and fell into a gentle sleep. James and Sirius looked at her in surprise as she started purring in her sleep. They hadn’t been expecting that from her. Well, she was a cat after all…  
   
Sirius pushed her hair gently from her face as she slumped onto the table in a light slumber. James just shook his head and rolled his eyes.  
   
“What?” Sirius asked flippantly.  
   
“Nothing,” James laughed quietly as he slumped back in seat to let the detention take it’s time. Pulling out a small Golden Snitch from his pocket, he started to play with it absently. Letting it go then catching it as it got about a metre away from him.  
   
No one said anything as the hours dragged on. Professor Flitwick still hadn’t turned up when Sirius looked around in surprise.  
   
“It’s getting late,” he murmured as he checked his watch. It read past seven o’clock and both he and James should have been down with Remus by now, preparing for the change.  
   
James looked up as he saw the moon starting to rise. “Perhaps you should -” he began.  
   
“Prongs,” Sirius smiled and inclined his thumb toward the door. “You go and help Moony. I’ll wait for the Professor and make up some excuse to where you’ve gone.”  
   
Nodding, James pocketed the Snitch and left. At the door, he turned around and looked at Sirius with a smile as he cocked his head toward April’s sleeping form. “Behave yourself Padfoot. I’m warning you!” he laughed as the door shut behind him with a loud bang.  
   
April rolled over but didn’t wake up. Instead, Sirius watched as she flitted from her animagus form of a cat to her normal self and back again. He had never seen that happen before with anyone.  
   
The moon was high in the sky when Sirius realised the Professor was nowhere to be seen. Pulling out the Marauder’s Map, he searched the castle for the form of Professor Flitwick. He seemed to be asleep, in the library? Sirius smiled as he picked April up (she had gone back to her cat form) and carried her up to the Gryffindor Commons.  
   
A howling could be heard from the grounds and Sirius automatically went toward the windows. He could just make out the hunched shapes of a werewolf and a stag going toward the Forbidden Forest. Sirius had no way of knowing if Peter was with them or not but he guessed he was.  
   
While at the window, April changed once more back to her human form and rubbed her eyes open slowly. Looking around, she spotted Sirius looking out over the school grounds toward the forest.  
   
“What’s going on?” she yawned and stretched lazily.  
   
“Nothing,” Sirius turned toward her, flashing a devastatingly handsome smile toward her. “Moony’s just changed a little while back. He and Prongs are going down to the lake by the looks of things.”  
   
April nodded then realised she wasn’t in the Charms Classroom anymore and it was rather late. “Umm, Sirius?” she asked quietly, looking around in confusion. “How did I get here exactly?”  
   
“I carried you,” he shrugged as if it was nothing but April felt heat flush her face as she thought about him carrying her while she was asleep. That wasn’t exactly a normal thing for a friend to do, was it?  
   
“Thanks then,” she smiled and tucked a few strands of her behind her ear that were covering her face.  
   
“It was nothing.” Sirius chuckled and held out his hand for her to take. “However, if you’re so tired we should really be getting to bed now.”  
   
April nodded and let him lead her through the back passages up to the commons. She was almost dead on her feet by the time she made it over the portal hole and into the plush red commons.  
   
Sirius looked over at her. “You won’t make it up to your room.” He observed.  
   
“Nope,” April yawned. “But I’m not sleeping with you in your room either.” She pointed out quickly as he half-bent to pick her up once more.  
   
“What are you going to do then?” he asked with a smile.  
   
Shrugging, April lay down carefully on one of the sofas around the room. “I’m going to sleep here.” She replied and put her arms up on the armrest to act as a pillow.  
   
Sirius shook his head and disappeared. He reappeared a few minutes later with a blanket and pillow which he placed carefully around April to keep her warm before he turned into his shaggy black dog form and curled up against her stomach.  
   
She wasn’t going to complain. There was something about Sirius when he was in his animagus form which meant you couldn’t get angry with him, or even feel weird about him being there. It was simple, natural.  
   
“Good boy,” April whispered as she drifted back into sleep once again. Well, April remembered thinking to herself; at least Sirius took one of Lily’s bras and not mine. That would have made this weird if nothing else would.


	9. Family

April wasn’t sure what to think when she woke the next morning to find Sirius Black pressed gently against her chest in his human form. She got up gently and whispered in his ear.  
   
“Sirius,” she whispered as she heard footsteps coming down toward the commons. “Sirius, for Christ sake, Sirius wake up already!” April shook his shoulder but found him turn over in his sleep, pinning her to the sofa.  
   
Peering over his shoulder, April saw the door to boys’ dorms open and the other three Marauders walked into the room laughing happily. They spotted April pinned to the sofa and the laughing rose in volume. Even Remus seemed to be finding it highly amusing.  
   
“You alright, April?” Remus chuckled as he walked over to them.  
   
James shook his head and leant against Remus’s shoulder. “Now Moony,” he said and spread out his arms to encompass the scene in front of him. “Does she look okay to you right now?”  
   
Remus shook his head and James winked at her before they tipped Sirius off the sofa and onto the cold floor. He squirmed and yelped as his bare arms touched the floor.  
   
“Shit!” he exclaimed without thinking and turned to James and Remus with anger boiling up inside him. “What the hell was that for Prongs? Moony?”  
   
Remus and James looked at each other before breaking into bright grins and bursting into peals of laughter. Sirius looked between them as Peter started a quiet laugh also. Shaking his head, Sirius started running his fingers through his long hair and looked around in confusion.  
   
“Where…?” he asked then turned to see April looking up at him with an amused expression on her face. Sirius blinked. “We didn’t -” he thought back to the night before, he didn’t remember doing anything.  
   
April’s expression turned surprised. “We most certainly did not Sirius!” she exclaimed and stormed off toward her dorm room where Lily and Alice were just waking up.  
   
“Where’ve you been all night? We waited for you but you never showed up.” Lily asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.  
   
“Then we fell asleep,” Alice laughed as she sat up. Her hair was all over the place as she pulled her brush from the table beside her. “So, tell us. Where’ve you been all night?”  
   
Shrugging, April pulled out her clean robes, quickly stripping down to her underwear. “I was in detention and fell asleep. I woke up in the common room.”  
   
“Oh, how did you get there then?” Lily asked curiously.  
   
April felt her cheeks flush and both girls looked at each other before turning back to April.  
   
Alice smiled. “There’s something you’re not telling us!”  
   
“I don’t know what you mean,” April said as she finished pulling on her shirt and picked up her bag. “Anyway, I would rather not be late for my lesson, if you don’t mind.”  
   
April strode from Gryffindor tower with her head high as she went toward her first lesson, two hours of Potions with Professor Slughorn. Yawn! April thought to herself as she walked toward the dungeons.  
   
She felt an arm wrap around her waist as she was pulled into a deserted classroom. Spinning around, April noticed Sirius leant up against the door with his arms crossed over his chest.  
   
“Did I say something?” Sirius asked. He looked worried about her response as he looked down into April’s eyes.  
   
“No,” April sighed, blowing a strand of stray hair out of her eyes. “I guess you didn’t but to insinuate… to think we might have… it wouldn’t be right, Sirius!” she finished uncertainly.  
   
Sirius nodded and took a step toward her. “You’re right. It wouldn’t be _right_. You’ll be going home soon but it doesn’t matter to me.” He smiled cheekily. “I like you and have since you fell on my broom. Don’t you think I know the consequences of it?”  
   
He gently wrapped his arms around April’s waist once more and April didn’t try and stop him. She knew she couldn’t be in love with Sirius, it was impossible. But, he was right; she would hopefully be going soon. Why not let him hug her at least? Friends could hug after all…  
   
“I don’t think you do know the consequences,” April said sadly against his chest.  
   
Laughing slightly bitterly, Sirius put his hand under her chin so he could look into her eyes. “I know it better than anyone. After all, I can’t touch you. It would hurt Moony.”  
   
Blinking, April thought about what he just said. “What’s Remus got to do with anything?” she asked quickly.  
   
“He likes you too,” Sirius shrugged. “He told me not to worry since, you know, he’s a werewolf and such but I know it would hurt him if I did anything to you. That’s why I haven’t actually asked you or tried to do much.”  
   
April took a step back in surprise and crossed he arms as she glared up at him. “Oh, so this is all for Remus? I see,” she said and stalked out the room.  
   
Sirius ran up behind her and grabbed her arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, confused again.  
   
“Just leave me alone, Sirius!” she half shouted as she pulled her arm from his grip. “If you don’t know what’s wrong then don’t talk to me until you’ve figured it out!” she snapped and hurried down to Potions.  
   
She was already half an hour late and Professor Slughorn didn’t look happy with her. Saying nothing, April went to sit at the desk furthest away from the other Marauders.  
   
“What are you doing?” a voice asked from beside her as she sat down. Looking up, April noticed Severus Snape half-crouched over his cauldron. He looked at her with confusion written right across his face.  
   
“Do you mind if I sit here?” April asked as she put her bag down beside him. “I would rather not sit in my usual seat right now.”  
   
At that moment, Sirius appeared at the door and walked to sit beside James and Remus. He looked around for April but when he spotted her, she lowered her eyes.  
   
Severus noticed this and laughed quietly. “Hiding from your boyfriend, are you?”  
   
“He’s not my boyfriend!” April exclaimed as she started pouring her ingredients carefully into her cauldron. “He’s barely my friend. I don’t know him after all.”  
   
“Did he do something?” Severus asked his lip curled nastily as he watched her measure her ingredients.  
   
April met his eyes with a smile. “You could say that.”  
   
“Well,” Severus said blushed and looking back at his own cauldron. “I hope it wasn’t too bad. We all know how the Marauders can treat people around here.”  
   
April felt her eyebrows furrow. “What do you mean?”  
   
Severus looked at her in surprise. “Oh, nothing.” He said quickly and they lapsed into a silence for most of the remainder of the lessons.  
   
April saw Severus watching her from the corner of his eye now and again and felt herself blush in response. It was weird, knowing he would one day turn into Professor Snape. He would teach in this very classroom and despise many Gryffindors but he had always been okay with her…  
   
Of course, she realised. He would have possibly remembered her from now or recognised a connection. This made her smile as she added the last few ingredients. Raising her hand, Professor Slughorn came over.  
   
“Perfect,” he muttered and turned to Severus. “You shouldn’t be helping her though, Snape.”  
   
“I didn’t, Professor.” He said as he added his own last ingredients. “I’ve been too busy with mine to help others. Anyway, she’s a Gryffindor. Why would I help her?”  
   
Slughorn nodded and disappeared.  
   
“Would you really not have helped me?” April asked him quietly. “What if I had made a mistake that could have killed us both?” she pointed out.  
   
Severus looked her up and down quickly with a smile. “Would you have helped me?” he questioned. “Would you have helped me, even though I’m a Slytherin?”  
   
“Of course,” April nodded immediately. “We all go to Hogwarts. That makes us a family, all of us.”  
   
“Then I would have helped you.”  
   
April smiled then pursed her lips. “I don’t think you would have actually.” She looked down at her cauldron now.  
   
“Why not?” Severus asked, confused again.  
   
“I’m Muggle-Born,” she looked up at him to see his reaction, not knowing what to expect.  
   
Severus blinked. “Oh, well, I would have still helped.”  
   
“Really?” April smiled.  
   
Severus nodded. “Sure, as long as the others aren’t around or don’t know you’re a Mud -” he stopped mid-word and bit his lip.  
   
April nodded. She knew what he was going to say. He was going to say _Mudblood_. It was a highly offensive term in the wizarding world for Muggle-Borns, translating simply as _dirty blood_. It wasn’t used in polite conversation.  
   
“Sorry,” Severus said and looked over at where the Marauders were sat with concern.  
   
April looked over at the others too. Sirius was still watching them, seemingly doing no work what-so-ever. James was miming the cauldron exploding while Peter laughed in awe. Remus was deep in concentration, being perfectly precise with his potion as it boiled.  
   
Turning her back on them, April smiled at Severus whose eyes were wide with fear. “It’s okay, I won’t tell. Family, remember?” she said and held out her hand.  
   
Severus looked down at it in surprise and nodded as he shook it. “Family,” he smiled.


	10. Final Preparations

They parted ways after that and April studiously ignored Sirius’s attempts to talk to her. She spent most of her time in the library with Remus, studying, or with Lily and Alice until Friday. Remembering that she had promised to invite the Slytherins to the party, April handed over the invite to Severus.  
   
“It’ll be fun,” she smiled.  
   
Severus pursed his lips and shrugged. “I guess so.”  
   
April placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him with a smile. “Please come. I don’t only want the bad boys of Slytherin coming. I would really like you coming to my birthday and welcome party.”  
   
“I’ll be there,” he smiled as he walked from the room and went to the Great Hall for dinner.  
   
Lily and Alice appeared at her side. Alice was smiling brightly while Lily watched Severus leave in silence.  
   
“Everything’s ready for tomorrow,” Alice smiled. “I checked with Frank who had checked with the Marauders. Everything’s going to be great. However, there is one minor issue with the venue.” She said as she looked at April.  
   
“Oh, what’s that then?” April smiled.  
   
“There’s not everything we need to play certain games.” Lily chuckled and rolled her eyes. “For some reason, _someone_ let the boys know about seven minutes in heaven along with spin the bottle. The room is a little small because a large closet has appeared overnight.”  
   
April turned to Alice with a laugh. “You taught them seven minutes? I thought we didn’t want them to know?”  
   
“But,” Alice pointed to April. “It’s your birthday and we all like learning new Muggle games. Lily was no help in hiding it though. Don’t forget, she’s the one who told me how to play or I wouldn’t have even known myself!”  
   
“So,” April turned to Lily who was turning red. “This is actually your fault?”  
   
Lily shook her head and both April and Alice laughed as they all walked down to the Great Hall. Yeah, this would be a party to remember alright. How would she be able to forget it? Really, how?  
   
Looking for a place to sit, Alice went and sat down beside Frank Longbottom who, to April’s dismay, was in deep conversation with the Marauders. Lily and April looked at each other before taking their places at the table. Lily was beside Alice while April sat next to Remus.  
   
Frank shook his head and laughed. “The whole point is to have a big space for the party, not for a closet!”  
   
“Well,” Sirius laughed. “How big is it supposed to be?”  
   
Frank shrugged and turned to the girls. Lily bit her lip and looked at April who shrugged. “No bigger than an ordinary supply closet or a large wardrobe. I don’t know, I’ve only played it three times before and it was in the same closet.”  
   
“Well, that settles it then.” James said as he wrote a small note on a piece of parchment. “We’ll have it sorted tonight. It’s going to be a great party, if I do say so myself.”  
   
“And he does,” Remus looked at him over his book.  
   
Sirius laughed at this and dropped into a whispered conversation with James so April turned to Remus. “Interesting book?” she asked causally.  
   
“Not really,” he smiled. “I’m still trying to find a way to get you home but there are no answers anywhere.”  
   
“Fair enough,” April shrugged as Remus looked at her in surprise. “Well, maybe I came here for a reason. I don’t know if I want to go home quite yet anyway. I’ve been thinking about it and I haven’t really done anything here yet. Give me a month and then start looking again, could you.”  
   
Remus smiled and nodded as he put the book down beside him. Sirius looked up at her with a smile. “You’re staying for a while then?” he asked happily.  
   
April nodded as she picked up her pumpkin juice. “Why not? I haven’t had my fun here yet!”  
   
The Marauders laughed at this while Lily, Alice and Frank tried to figure out what she could have meant by that. With a smile, April looked over at Sirius. She knew she couldn’t be with him so at the least she could do was forgive him for being an idiot… Sirius was, after all, a boy and April couldn’t blame him for thinking that way when he was the way he was.  
   
April was deep in conversation with Remus when she noticed people around her moving with wide eyes as a group of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs and Slytherins came to sit around the chatting group.  
   
Severus sat down beside April with a smile while Lucius sat beside him. Along with them was a boy who looked remarkably familiar. The Ravenclaws consisted of five girls, headed by Dana while the Hufflepuffs were two boys and two girls headed by Thomas.  
   
“Is everything ready for tomorrow night then?” Dana smiled over the table. She was sat beside Lily and looked excited but her friends around her looked apprehensive.  
   
James looked around at those from other houses. He recognised a few of them but not all of them. He knew the Slytherins, Dana and Thomas but the others were new to him. “We’re just sorting out finishing touches for games. Supposedly, you need a normal closet for seven minutes?” he shrugged.  
   
Sirius laughed and punched his best friend on the arm. “Don’t give away the games Prongs. There a surprise!”  
   
“We have the cake,” Remus smiled up from his book, “and all the music equipment thanks to the Hufflepuffs. The Gryffindors have acquired a number of beverages. Slytherins have sorted out hall clearances so we don’t get caught ushering you all to the room and the Ravenclaws have done their best with decorations. I personally think they’ve been better at the Slytherins about stopping us getting in trouble though.”  
   
“Thanks Remus,” Dana blushed as Remus turned back to his book.  
   
April smiled at Dana. Everyone liked Remus. He was sweet and kind and, even with the scars, very handsome. There was also the mystery behind him which could only make people more attracted to him.  
   
Dana obviously liked him and April wondered what she would think if she found out he was a werewolf? As a Ravenclaw, she should know they aren’t too dangerous. They’re only dangerous during the transformation when humans might be a bit too close –  
   
“They’ve been very helpful,” James agreed with a smile as he ruffled the back of his hair. “Nothing like a Ravenclaw _prefect_ to stop you getting in trouble at night.”  
   
Sirius rolled his eyes. “Yeah but you know they’ll kick your butt on the Quidditch pitch if you gave them half a chance Prongs. It’s a shame their Seeker is easy to hit.” Sirius mimicked hitting a Bludger toward someone.  
   
They both broke into quiet laughter. Sometimes the only way for James to listen to anything was through Quidditch references. He was a very good Seeker and he knew it so his mind was often on the pitch when it came to other things. Sirius obviously realised it was one of those times.  
   
“True,” James laughed as he brought out the Snitch from his pocket. “I’m just too good though.” Letting the Snitch go, it fluttered around the table before James caught it once more in his outstretched palm, pocketing it.  
   
“Show-off,” Lily muttered and crossed her arms. Alice laughed at this response and so did April. The others didn’t seem to have heard her.  
   
April turned to the Hufflepuffs. “Okay, you guys need to be ready and set up for eight tomorrow night with the decks and everything but there better be a stage because I know some live music we’ll be having, ‘k?” she smiled.  
   
Thomas looked at the others and nodded as they got up.  
   
Lily turned to Dana. “The decorations are all done but we need some extra things. Here’s a list, I’m sure you know where to find them, don’t you? Meet us at the room for nine.”  
   
“Sure,” Dana smiled as she looked down at the list and got up with the other Ravenclaws. “We’ll be there.”  
   
Alice smiled as she turned to the Slytherins. It wasn’t one of her normal happy smiles. It was one of her ‘I’ll smile and be polite but I really don’t like you one bit’ kind of smiles. “Just be there at nine. Try not to get us all in detention or I’m sure everyone will happily watch you all get flushed.”  
   
April pulled out her wand and turned it on Lucius. She wouldn’t turn it on Severus and she didn’t know the other boy. “Yeah and when she says _flushed_ , she means in the lake with the squid. Don’t be a fool Malfoy.”  
   
“This is going to be fun,” Lucius chuckled as he got up, the other two following suit. “Trust me; I wouldn’t want to miss this one for anything.”  
   
Rolling her eyes, April turned back to the others with a bright smile. “Well, looks like my sixteenth is going to end with a bang tomorrow.”  
   
“We can only hope,” James said and raised his glass of pumpkin juice with a smile. Everyone had pretty much dispersed the hall by now so they stayed there for only a couple minutes longer before they all walked back up to the commons together.  
   
Lily tried to leave them there and go up to bed but April grabbed her arm and sat her down as the Marauders, Frank and Alice sat around them. They were finishing off the party plans. It was only right after all to have everything sorted out properly.  
   
April was half-asleep when she felt someone tap her arm gently. She hadn’t noticed that Sirius had come to sit beside her sometime in the night but there he was. Everyone else was talking quietly by the fire but April and Sirius was just off to the side of them now.  
   
“What is it Sirius?” April asked sleepily as she stretched.  
   
“Happy birthday,” he smiled and pulled a small bracelet from his pocket. It was a charm bracelet with four charms placed at regular intervals. One was a dag, another a stag, one a wolf and the last was a small rat.  
   
April looked at it with sleepy eyes. “Where did you get that?” she asked with a small smile on her face as she allowed him to clasp it around her wrist. It jangled as she turned it to look at each individual charm.  
   
“Well,” he smiled. “I already had the bracelet. It was from home and pure silver. It was something Andromeda brought my mum for Christmas a couple years back but mum doesn’t like Andromeda and she threatened to get rid of it. I took it from her since I didn’t see the point in wasting it. It wouldn’t have been fair to Andromeda.”  
   
April fiddled with the small dog absently. “Where did you get the charms from then?”  
   
Smiling, Sirius pointed to each charm in turn. “The dog _was_ a bit of my fur. The stag _was_ a twig from James’s broom. The wolf _was_ a corner of one of Remus’s pages and the rat...” Sirius looked at her with a smile. “The rat _was_ once Peter’s Transfiguration homework. It’s something to remember us by. You know, after you go home.”  
   
“Thanks Sirius,” she leant her head against his shoulder gently. “It’s beautiful but why are you giving it to me now?”  
   
Sirius chuckled huskily as he moved April’s hair from her face gently. “Well, that’s simple. I gave it to you _now_ because the clock just went past midnight. That means you’re sixteen. It’s your birthday, kitten.”  
   
“Okay then,” she smiled closing her eyes. April felt Sirius shift slightly beside her so his arm was resting lightly across her shoulder blades, holding her gently against him as she slept through the night.  
   
No one left the common room that night and they fell asleep around the fire. Everything was set for the party by just past three that morning but none of them had felt much like moving by then. They were all too tired.


	11. Happy 16th

April shifted slightly as the sun peered through the window that morning and realised she was sleeping against Sirius still. His arm was over her back while she had her arms pressed together as if she was praying up against his chest. They were both slouched up against the sofa.  
   
Lily was lying across one of the chairs with Alice and Frank sat on one side. James was lying on the sofa with Remus next to him. Peter was curled up in front of the burning fire.  
   
“Sirius,” April whispered into his collar bone (this was not by choice), he was strong and she was pinned to his chest quite tightly. “Sirius, its morning.”  
   
He opened his eyes slowly and looked down at her with a sleepy smile. “Morning? Oh, happy birthday April.” Sirius murmured as he unwrapped his arm from her, sitting up with a yawn. His hair was messier than usual but April thought he still wore it better than most would have been able to.  
   
April got up slowly and walked over to wake Lily and Alice up. Frank rolled over with a sleepy “morning” as she shook Alice’s shoulder. Sirius was trying to wake James and Remus up while Peter slept lightly still.  
   
As the others slowly woke up, Peter slept on so April knelt down beside him and shook his shoulder. “Wake up Peter!” She half-shouted at him.  
   
“Move over,” Sirius yawned as he knelt beside her and gently moved her by the waist out of his way. He had Remus’s book in his hand and slammed it down on the floor beside the sleeping boy. “Peter!” he shouted right down his ear. “For Christ’s sake! You’re on fire…”  
   
Peter awoke with a start and ran from the commons screaming about a fire that didn’t exist. Everyone (even Lily Evans) was in hysterics about his reactions.  
   
“Oops,” Sirius shrugged off his laugh.  
   
“Oops indeed,” James punched his friend’s arm with a laugh. “Honestly Padfoot, do you need to make Wormy pee himself _every_ morning?”  
   
“Every _morning_?” Sirius debated quickly with a smile. “I think I do have to make him pee a little every day but not necessarily every _morning_ …”  
   
This led to a new bout of laughter from everyone present. Alice and Lily came over to April and sat either side of her, Sirius moving away slightly to the side with James and Remus. Alice beamed brightly.  
   
“Did you have a nice night?” she smiled.  
   
April ruffled her fringe as she started brushing through her hair with her fingers. “I slept, Alice. It was actually rather comfortable though, if that’s what you mean?”  
   
Alice shook her head. “No, that’s _not_ what I meant. I’m on about the fact that you seem to have really gotten to old Black. He kept hold of you _all_ night without fault. He almost seemed… protective over you?”  
   
“Well,” April looked up at her while her hand was still trying to sort out her fringe. “I am one of his closest friends. He would be a little protective.”  
   
Lily looked at April in surprise. “You hardly know him and he hardly knows you. You’ve only been here for a week and a half yet you’re already one of his ‘closest friends’? Okay, April, I don’t think you _really_ understand what Sirius is like -”  
   
“I know a lot more about Padfoot than you do you Lily,” April said calmly as her fringe fell in front of her face.  
   
“Padfoot?” Lily and Alice asked.  
   
“What?” Sirius asked as he came over to them. He looked confused about being called but April shook her head at him. “I don’t think they were -”  
   
“Sirius, why does she call you Padfoot?” Alice turned and asked him with crossed arms. Now she looked concerned.  
   
Sirius shrugged. “She’s one of us, a true Marauder. Little Night-Eyes is the only girl Marauder we’ll allow though so don’t get your hopes up girls.” He smiled cheekily and April punched him in the arm with a roll of her eyes.  
   
“I just get along with them better than most people and have some pretty perfect pranks up my sleeve while I’m here.”  
   
Lily and Alice looked as if they were going to say something but Remus appeared then and grabbed April’s arm. Sirius and James followed him as Remus gently steered April out of the commons with a cheery, “We’ll see you guys later. Frank, take care of those other things will you?”  
   
They all went down to the Black Lake and sat there until it was nearing breakfast time. April watched as Sirius and James did laps over the cold water on their broomsticks as she sat under the oak tree with Remus. He was still reading silently, as he always did.  
   
Sixteen, April couldn’t believe it. She was now (technically) sixteen years of age. When she went home she would hopefully still be fifteen but here… She was practically an adult. April would come of age next year, making her an adult in the wizarding world while she was still a child in the Muggle one.  
   
She honestly didn’t know what to think about that.  
   
“Shouldn’t we be going up to the hall for breakfast?” April asked Remus as Sirius and James came out of the water. Both were dripping since Sirius had decided to dive James and they had both gone falling into the lake.  
   
Remus shook his head as he lay the book down beside him. It was a book on _Advanced Ancient Runes_ , a bit of light morning reading for him. “No,” he smiled. “We’re waiting for Peter to bring your birthday breakfast down from the hall. He shouldn’t be long now…” he muttered as April spotted Peter Pettigrew coming down over the lawn toward them.  
   
Lily, Alice and Frank followed behind. All four of them were carrying baskets, boxes and bottles.  
   
“Happy sixteenth!” Lily smiled and kissed April quickly on the cheek as she handed a small box over to her.  
   
“We got it in Hogsmeade for you.” Alice smiled.  
   
Opening the box, April pulled out a smaller set of boxes. Inside each one was an assortment of small tricks to play on people as well as a new complete supply of Zonko’s patented paints. They were what she had used on Lucius’s hair.  
   
Sirius had placed himself down beside her and looked into the box appreciatively. “Great,” he looked at April with a bright smile. “Now you can get _anyone_!”  
   
“And I will,” April nudged him gently as Remus pulled out a present of his own and gave it to her. It was a set of books but not just any books. They were a complete set of books on mischief making and spells. “Thanks Moony,” she smiled and hugged him gently.  
   
“Jeez,” James smiled as he tried to look worried. “I don’t _how_ Peter, Frank and I could have topped a set of books. Well, actually,” he pulled a large box out from behind his back and handed it to her. “I can…”  
   
The box was heavier than April would have first imagined but it was easy enough to open. Sirius looked over her shoulder with a smile as she pulled out the first few items with a blush on her cheeks. “I don’t think I’ll need these!” April’s eyes were wide as she lifted out bikinis and lacy underwear in surprise.  
   
Buried beneath it all was another box of prank supplies, a couple smaller joke books and a Golden Snitch. James smiled as April looked at him in surprise.  
   
“It’s a little something I picked up from my last match. I have a couple now and thought you might enjoy it. You like butterflies, don’t you?”  
   
April knew what he meant. As a cat, anything flying around her head caught her attention and was a potential target. This was a butterfly to her to catch and play with as a cat would catch (and sometimes kill) a butterfly.  
   
“Thanks,” she smiled at James and Peter then turned to Frank with a smile. “To all of you.”  
   
“That’s okay, I only got the joke books,” Frank pointed out. “The rest was James’s idea while I think Pete brought you most of the sweets in the bottom. Bertie Bott’s and Muggle candies are always a good birthday present.”  
   
James and Sirius burst into quiet laughter while Remus looked at Peter in surprise mouthing ‘sweets, really?’  
   
April just turned to Peter with a tender smile. “I love them Wormy, thanks.” She got up and gently hugged him. It was uncomfortable for them both but April wanted to show him that the thought meant a lot to her.  
   
The hug only lasted about a minute but it felt like an eternity for April. She pulled away from the hug with a smile on her face but, at the same time, she felt her skin crawl at the thought of her just hugging him. Ew!  
   
They all sat in a loose circle and ate the hamper of food Peter had managed to get from the kitchen that morning. It was a happy morning and when April walked into the hall for lunch she was riddled with even more presents. Thoroughly confused, April turned to Lily for an explanation.  
   
“You invited every house for a party. Everyone loves you April!” Lily shook her head as if that was obvious to anyone and couldn’t understand how she hadn’t got it.  
   
April shrugged. All the presents were fairly useful and she thanked everyone a number of times that day. They spent most of the day by the lake once more with people following happily, asking about the party and such. April was surprised when it came to dinner and the teachers still hadn’t found out.  
   
“Dana and the Ravenclaws are great at keeping people in _and out_ of the loop.” Remus said simply. “The teachers are clueless to a mass meeting tonight.”  
   
“Meeting?” James rolled his eyes. “That makes it sound boring Moony. It’s a party!”  
   
James let his Snitch go once more and April pounced it before he could get it. She twirled it around her fingers before throwing it gently to him. “I might have one now,” April smiled. “But I’ll take that from you anytime, anywhere!”  
                                      
Everyone laughed but James pocketed the Snitch quickly. He knew April meant it. She was quicker than he was and, surprisingly, would make a great Seeker if given half the chance to be.


	12. Regulus

It was nearing eight o’clock so Sirius got to his feet. They were still in the Great Hall but the Slytherins had left so it was time to go and check on the room of requirement.  
   
Sirius held his hand out to April with a smile. “Come with?” he asked cheekily.  
   
April took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet before turning back to the others. “Make sure everything else is ready. I think I need to start welcoming people.” Then, she and Sirius skipped off up the Great Hall, hand-in-hand.  
   
“How can April deny she likes him?” Lily asked with a roll of her eyes. She had seen how April watched Sirius all day and was starting to wonder if her friend was quite so uninterested in the ‘ladies-man’ as she tried to make out.  
   
“I don’t know,” James smiled at her. “Seem like a lot of girls do it around here.” James and Remus had got to their feet as Lily blushed. “Frank, you and Peter need to go down to the kitchens and pick the food up for us. We’re going to go and grab the drinks. Lily, Alice, start herding will you?”  
   
Alice nodded and got to her feet. The six of them walked to the doors together before splitting into three separate groups to finish getting things ready.  
   
April and Sirius were nearing the room of requirement when they heard a muffled bang.  
   
“Damn,” they heard someone tut. “You better let old Hart check that one out.”  
   
April let go of Sirius’s hand and ran round the final corner before the room of requirement. Someone had been walking down the hall when a black bag of powder had exploded in their face.  
   
He was only a first or second year and scurried off in the other direction. Another boy stood where the entrance to the room of requirement should have been.  
   
It was the boy April had found remarkably familiar. He saw April walking toward him with pursed lips and pushed a small bag of the black powder behind his back. “Happy birthday beautiful!” he winked.  
   
April felt a blush rise in her face but Sirius groaned when he saw the boy. “Regulus, what the hell are you doing here?” he hissed with a scowl.  
   
“You two know each other?” April asked.  
   
Sirius rolled his eyes and went to stand on the other side of the boy with a grumpy scowl and crossed arms. “Now what do you think?” he asked lazily.  
   
Looking at them stood together, it was obvious they were related. April blinked, “I didn’t know you had a brother?”  
   
“Well,” Sirius stretched. “He doesn’t like me much.”  
   
“No,” Regulus Arcturus Black crossed his arms. “No I don’t. He’s a filthy Blood-Traitor who has a thing for Mud -”  
   
Sirius pulled out his wand and stuck it roughly into his brother’s neck. His eyes blazed with fury. “Say it and you’ll wish you were never born, _bro’_.” He spat.  
   
“Mudblood,” Regulus said each syllable carefully.  
   
April rolled her eyes as Sirius threw his brother up against the wall. She quickly strode over to him and gently wrapped her hand over the fist Sirius was about to punch straight into his brother’s face.  
   
“Don’t bother. He shouldn’t be here anyway,” April whispered in Sirius’s ear. Sirius relaxed slowly and dropped his brother back to the floor as April turned to Regulus. “Well, this _Mudblood_ as you so lovingly put it is now banning you from her party. Get over yourself _Regulus_.”  
   
Regulus looked at her in surprise before disappearing out of sight. April knocked gently on the wall and a door opened with a surprised looking Severus Snape looking out.  
   
“Oh, hey April!” he exclaimed, ignoring Sirius.  
   
They both stepped into the room. April looked around appreciatively. There was a large stage right in front of them with a cupboard off to the right. The left was filled with sofas and armchairs while the centre was completely free. The right wall was also covered with foods and drinks as well as another table that was empty.  
   
“How’s everything going then?” April asked as she went to sit in one of the large armchairs. Sirius crossed his arms and leant beside her as Severus looked down at a clipboard.  
   
“We have everything ready except the guests and the last few things from your friends.”  
   
April looked at him in surprise. “What’s left?”  
   
“Alcohol,” Sirius ticked off his fingers. “Your cake, a couple other bits of food and more drinks.”  
   
She wasn't surprised by his remark. “Well, if that’s all -”  
   
“And an object from each boy willing to play seven minutes,” Severus looked at his clipboard with a laugh. “As well as an empty bottle for spin the bottle and the live music you said about.”  
   
April stood up and stretched. “Actually, I’m the live music. All I need are the Marauders and that’s sorted too.”  
   
Sirius blinked. “Us?” he asked in surprise.  
   
April nodded and got up on to the stage. She picked up the microphone at the front of the stage and tapped it. Then she winked at Sirius. “Sure, I’m guessing you can play?”  
   
He jumped up on the stage beside her and grabbed hold of the nearest guitar, strumming a couple chords out on it. “Me and James play a little. Rem is fair and Peter can, kind of, drum.”  
   
“That’s good,” she laughed and threw the microphone at him. “But you’ll need to be able to sing as well.”  
   
Sirius just shrugged. “What song?”  
   
April smiled and handed him a piece of sheet music. He scanned it quickly in confusion. James and Remus walked in at that moment and joined Sirius on the stage to look at the song in surprise.  
   
“Who the hell is this?” James said as he re-read the song. He had never heard the song before.  
   
April smiled. “You wouldn’t know them. They’re kind of low-key and Muggles, as far as I know. Trust me though, it will surprise people.”  
   
“Too right it will,” Remus commented as he pulled up the bass guitar.  
   
April laughed at their expressions then left them to practice. They had until nine o’clock before people were arriving. That should be plenty of time in her eyes but it would be easier for them if she wasn’t watching. Instead, she went to go and find Alice and Lily.


	13. Seven Minutes

Parties were a lot of hassle, April decided. She was up in the Gryffindor dorm room with Alice and Lily, finishing getting ready. She was dressed in a short black dress with red and gold heels April had found in her trunk. After spending five minutes doing her make-up, April looked at the clock. She was going to be ‘fashionably’ late to her own birthday party. Lily and Alice were sat waiting for her.  
   
Spinning around from her table, April smiled. “It’s time!” she half-cried as she jumped up and grabbed the other two girls by the arms.  
   
They ran giggling down the halls toward the party. At set points, a prefect would be stood. At each of these points, they followed on with a smile on their face.  
   
Everyone was going to be at the party, April knew that. Anyone cool or younger kids with older friends. The studious types like Remus. The creeps like Peter. The charmers like Sirius. Even the sporty ones like James. It was a party no one would miss if they had the choice…  
   
Music was already playing as they walked into the room. People were everywhere! That was the first thing April had noticed. There was no one actually working the party but everyone was helping each other. It was cross house unity for once in a very long time.  
   
Severus was even sat with the Marauders. Frank looked up at Alice with a smile as the three girls approached. Sirius got up with a sigh and walked over to the stage with April, James, Remus and Peter.  
   
“Hello?” Sirius leant against the mic stand with a lazy smile on his face. Everyone turned to him as he strapped the guitar around his neck. “Well, we’re here to sing you a song tonight. April kind of told us we had to.”  
   
April winked and walked off the stage to stand with Lily at the front of a now congregating crowd of people.  
   
Running his hands quickly through his hair, Sirius looked at April as he pulled a small pick from between the guitar strings. Remus had his bass in hand, ignoring the stares. James looked as if he was enjoying the attention as he picked up his own guitar and Peter was almost invisible behind the large drum kit.  
   
“So,” Sirius raised one eyebrow toward April. “This song is called ‘one of my lies’. I have no clue who wrote it but April says they’re good.” Peter started up a steady drum beat and Sirius turned to the mic, never taking his eyes of April as she started dancing to the familiar tune.  
   
 _When I was younger_  
 _I thought the world circled around me_  
 _But in time I realised I was-s wrong_  
 _My immortal thoughts turned into just dreams of a dead future_  
 _It was a tragic case of my reality_  
   
 _Do you think you’re indestructible?_  
 _And no one can touch you_  
 _Well I think you’re disposable_  
 _And it’s time you knew the truth_  
 _Cause it’s just one of my lies!_  
 _Well, it’s just one my lies_  
 _*And all I wanna do is get real high*_  
 _Well it’s just one of my lies_  
   
 _Why does my life have to be so small?_  
 _Yet death is forever_  
 _And does forever have a real life to call its own?_  
   
 _Don’t give me answer cause you_  
 _Only know as much as I know_  
 _Unless you’ve been there once_  
 _Well I hardly think so_  
   
 _Do you think you’re indestructible?_  
 _And no one can touch you_  
 _Well I think you’re disposable_  
 _And it’s time you knew the truth_  
 _Cause it’s just one of my lies!_  
 _Well, it’s just one my lies_  
 _*And all I wanna do is get real high*_  
 _Well it’s just one of my lies_  
   
 _I used to pray all night_  
 _Before I lay myself down_  
 _My mother said it was right_  
 _Her mother said it too…_  
 _Why?_  
   
Yeah, no one knew what to think but everyone applauded all the same. It was a good song and they had played it well. A shame none of them would hear it until 1992, if they were lucky, went to America and found out about a new punk rock band by the name of Green Day.  
   
Sirius bowed deeply before jumping off the stage and down beside April. He kissed her quickly on the cheek with a cheeky smile. “Happy birthday kitten.”  
   
April rolled her eyes and clapped slowly. “Very good, I can slap you for a kiss on the cheek but try anything else and you’ll get it Padfoot.” She smiled sweetly.  
   
Sirius held his hands up in surrender as Severus walked over to her. Frank was beside him, holding a small bag. He shook it gently. “Pick an item for your seven minutes.”  
   
“Do I have to?” April asked.  
   
Everyone was turned toward her in expectance. Alice squeezed April’s shoulder gently. “Of _course_ you have to. It’s your birthday and you have to go first. You get the biggest choice then. Come on. It's _only_ seven minutes,” she teased.  
   
“Is that a dare?” April asked.  
   
“Certainly sounded like it.” Lily smiled teasingly. “Surely you’re not going to back down?”  
   
Sighing, April thrust her hand deep into the bag. There were a lot of items in there but one felt surprising to her. It felt like leather with a cold panel in the centre.  
   
Pulling it out carefully, she rolled her eyes and looked at it. “A watch?” she groaned since she knew exactly who that watch belonged to.  
   
“No fair,” James laughed. “Sirius always gets the girl.”  
   
Sirius gently took his watch from her hand and pulled her gently to the closet. “Looks like we’ve got some talking to do,” he laughed as he gently closed the door behind them.  
   
It was pitch black in the closet so April quickly scooted herself into a corner where she sat down. Why did she pick the object that interested her most? She had felt other things in there. A small ball. A vial of some sort. There had even been what felt like a feather… and she picked the watch?  
   
 _“Lumos!”_ she whispered and the room was suddenly a lot lighter. April had noticed that she hadn’t heard Sirius move and wondered what was happening.  
   
He was leant carefully against the door with a bored look on his face but he looked content where he was all the same. Sometimes, April couldn’t figure him out.  
   
“What are you doing?” April asked allowed.  
   
Sirius shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ve already told me _not_ to kiss you and I seriously don’t get this game anyway. Now we’ve got to spend seven minutes in here doing _what_ exactly?”  
   
It was genuine curiosity on his face, April realised. It wasn’t an ‘I’m only pretending this to get you to kiss me’ look at all. April gulped and pulled her legs up to her chest. “We have seven minutes to do whatever we want really.”  
   
Sirius came to sit beside her and looked into her eyes with sincere confusion. “And what’s the point in that?” he rolled his eyes which made April chuckle quietly.  
   
When he was like this, April really liked him. It was when he was the other way that he exasperated her. Like this, he could have easily been in his dog form. After all, he was nice and normal this way.  
   
Only human and exceptionally gorgeous, a small voice April had been trying to ignore for the last week said once again. It was right of course. Sirius was devilishly handsome with his beautiful grey eyes and long, curly black hair falling to his shoulders. The earring was also something April thought just added to his hotness.  
   
She leant her head on his shoulder without thinking and started playing with the bracelet he had given her. Almost absently, she said, “I’m going to need a charm for Lily and Alice. I also want to remember Dana, Frank, Thomas and Severus. Maybe even one for Regulus and Lucius would be an idea. It only seems right…”  
  
She felt Sirius nod against her shoulder and tap his wand over the cloak behind their heads. It fell to the floor in a tickling as eight little charms depicting aspects of each person hit the floor gently.  
   
“How are they then?” Sirius asked as he picked them up and carefully attached them evenly around the bracelet.  
   
April twisted her wrist around in the light coming from the tip of her wand. Each one sparkled gently. “They’re perfect Sirius. Thank you,” she whispered and turned her face to kiss him gently on the cheek. “They’re absolutely perfect.”  
   
Sirius’s arms wrapped gently around her as he hugged April to his chest. His chin rested on the top of her head so gently it almost felt like it was part of her.  
   
“You know,” Sirius whispered sadly. “I know you don’t want to hear this but I really don’t want you to go.”  
   
April sighed. “But I have to go home at some point Sirius. I don’t belong here. I belong with my parents, at home.” She felt tears prickle in her eyes but didn’t know where they had come from.  
   
Sirius sighed. “I know that but I wish you didn’t have too. April, I think I love you.” He said so quietly April wasn’t sure she had heard him right but he kissed her gently on the top of her head so maybe April had heard him right after all.  
   
“You hardly know me,” April choked out.  
   
Sirius stiffened and turned her face up to his. “Are you crying?” he asked seriously with his eyebrow cocked.  
   
April shook her head and tried to pull the tears back up before anything else went wrong. It was her birthday, shouldn’t she be happy? Why was she crying anyway?  
   
Because, the snide voice chided as if it was talking to a child, you don’t _want_ to go yourself. Do I have to spell it out to you? You _like_ him.  
   
April twisted her head to look at Sirius’s watch. They had been in the cupboard together for almost seven minutes. She knew her time was going to be half an hour in there but she didn’t want to waste any more time since she finally admitted the truth to herself.  
   
Very carefully, April twisted round in Sirius’s grip so she was sat facing him. She wrapped him in a tight hug as she let the last few tears leak away. He held her gently, not expecting what would come next. Pulling herself back so her arms were wrapped loosely around Sirius’s neck, April carefully pressed her lips to his. He was frozen to the spot for a minute or so but April kept her lips gently on his. As he came back to reality, Sirius wound his arms tightly around her waist...


	14. Promises

James’s head peeked around the door at the two people sat on the floor, talking quietly. He couldn’t be fooled, they had definitely been kissing. Sirius’s hair looked more brushed than usual while April’s hair was a bit more unkempt. James smiled, “Have fun did we?”  
   
April smiled up at him as Sirius pulled her gently to her feet. “Oh, lots of fun. Who’s next?” she smiled and looked around the room in interest.  
   
Dana stepped forward with a smile on her face. “I’ll go next,” she said as she plunged her hand into the bag.  
   
She pulled out a small book and Remus carefully steered her toward the cupboard. They both looked uncomfortable and April wondered briefly what they would actually do in there for their seven minutes?  
   
April kept her hand in Sirius’s as they went and spoke to everyone in the room. No one asked them what had happened in the cupboard but they all had their own suspicions. Anyway, the look on Sirius’s face had to mean something, didn’t it?  
   
They made sure they thanked everyone and Sirius made little charms of everyone as they went. Her bracelet was almost overflowing by the time they went to find somewhere to sit.  
   
Lily had just come out of the cupboard with a slightly annoyed but flushed face. James followed her out as Alice and Frank walked in with a smile on their faces.  
   
“Sirius?” April asked as she smiled up at him. They went to sit in the one available armchair. She gently perched on his lap with her legs dangling over the arms.  
   
“Hmm…” he smiled back. He had been absently playing with a lock of her hair and seemed far away.  
   
April quickly kissed his lips and smiled cheekily. “How about you and the Marauders play one more song for me, since it’s my birthday?”  
   
“What do I get out of it?” Sirius asked with a smile.  
   
April wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and kissed his lips again. “I don’t know? What do you want?”  
   
Sirius pulled her lips back to his and whispered against them, “You?” he kept his arms tightly around her as he gently pushed April’s hair out of her eyes so he could look into them as he kissed her.  
   
April smiled against his lips. “Sure,” she whispered.  
   
Sirius blinked in surprise. “Wait, what?”  
   
“Sure,” she whispered against his lips. “Just tell me where and we can go after the party.”  
   
Sirius smiled once more. “Okay, I’ll give you place but not until we get there. I think it should be a surprise for you.”  
   
“So you’ll sing for me?” April said as she pulled away from him gently. Sirius nodded so April handed him yet another small piece of paper.  
   
“2000 Light Years Away?” he questioned but nodded all the same. Neither of them had noticed James arrive but he took the slip from Sirius gently.  
   
James smiled and went to find Peter and Remus with the slip in front of him. Very quickly the boys were back up on stage and Sirius looked rather excited this time. April had a feeling it was probably because of her, she had just accepted the invitation to be his girlfriend.  
   
 _I sit alone in my bed room_  
 _Staring at the walls_  
 _I’ve been up all damn night long_  
 _My pulse is speeding_  
 _My love is yearning_  
   
 _I hold my breath and close my eyes and *dream about her*_  
 _Cause she’s 2000 light years away_  
 _She holds my mala kite so tight so *never let go*_  
 _Cause she’s 2000 light years away_  
 _Years away!_  
   
 _I sit outside and watch the sunrise_  
 _Lookout as far as I can see_  
 _I can’t see her but in the distance_  
 _I hear some laughter_  
 _We laugh together_  
   
 _I hold my breath and close my eyes and *dream about her*_  
 _Cause she’s 2000 light years away_  
 _She holds my mala kite so tight so *never let go*_  
 _Cause she’s 2000 light years away_  
 _Years away!_  
   
 _I sit alone in my bed room_  
 _Staring at the walls_  
 _I’ve been up all damn night long_  
 _My pulse is speeding_  
 _My love is yearning_  
   
 _I hold my breath and close my eyes and *dream about her*_  
 _Cause she’s 2000 light years away_  
 _She holds my mala kite so tight so *never let go*_  
 _Cause she’s 2000 light years away_  
 _Years away ay ay yeah!_  
   
The room erupted in applause this time with no stop for a good five minutes. April guessed they liked that song better. Then again, Sirius had looked as if he had thoroughly enjoyed himself up there that time so maybe that had made it better on its own…  
   
Sirius jumped down beside her and gently wrapped his arm around her waist. His lips were at her ear as he whispered, “How was that then?”  
   
April smiled and turned to look at him in his grey eyes. “I loved it.” She said simply and gently kissed him on the lips before she quickly jumped up on the stage.  
   
Everyone turned to look at her and she smiled brightly. “Hey everyone, I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves!” the room broke into applause and April waited for it to die down before she continued. “So, as I’m sure most of you have realised by now, today was my sixteenth birthday and I only thought it right to invite everyone. This is the fabled ‘Room of Requirement’ but don’t come looking for it too often. It’s a tricky thing to play with.  
   
“You are all welcome to stay here as long as you like. Enjoy the drink, the food and the cake but don’t get caught leaving the room. It will mean more than just a detention for us all! Anyone who wants to now take the stage is perfectly welcome. The clock is reading just past midnight, enjoy!”  
   
The room laughed, applauded and delved back into loud chatter as Sirius helped her down from the stage. They quietly left the room before anyone noticed and skipped down the hall, hand-in-hand. They were in plain sight and that was why they enjoyed it!  
   
They had skipped up and down the halls a couple times before having to sprint toward one of the many hidden passages when they heard the footsteps coming toward them. Sirius gently pressed his lips to April’s to muffle her breathing.  
   
It was short and sweet but that wasn’t what April wanted any more. Sirius poked his head out around the tapestry covering the tunnel and pulled April out by the hand.  
   
“So,” April said making a small popping noise with her mouth. “Where are we going?”  
   
Sirius looked at her in confusion. “What do you mean?”  
   
April shrugged. “You said you knew a place, remember? This was part of the bargain to get you singing for me.” She laughed at the confused expression on his face.  
   
“Um, April, are you sure?” he asked carefully.  
   
Wrapping her arms up around his neck, April looked deep into his eyes and nodded with a smile. “Yes, Sirius, I’m 100% certain of this. You were the one who suggested it.” She reminded him with a laugh as his eyes lit up.


	15. The Morning After

April woke early that morning with a small shiver. The tunnel was quite cold in places. Sometime in the night, April had managed to transfigure their clothes into a thin blanket that was now covering the pair of them.  
   
It wasn’t enough to stop the chill though. She snuggled closer to Sirius’s warm body and he groaned quietly in his sleep as his arms wrapped tightly around her. He looked younger when he slept, not sixteen. There was something about him sleeping that fascinated April and she watched him quietly as she felt herself warm in his arms.  
   
His breathing was slow and measured. His hair fell over his eyes in an endearing sort of way. April gently brushed it aside to kiss him gently on his lips. He moaned again gently as he rolled over and started to kiss her more passionately. His eyes opened and Sirius winked at her as she looked at him in surprise.  
   
“Morning kitten,” he whispered gently tracing her collarbone with his finger.  
   
April smiled. “Morning Sirius.”  
   
He stretched with his arm still gently wrapped under her back and looked around quickly. “So, what’s on the agenda today April?” The question caught her off guard and Sirius smiled playfully. “Do you want breakfast, to prank some Slytherins or to stay here?”  
   
“Well,” April pursed her lips. She was quite happy to stay where she was but her stomach growled hungrily. “I’m thinking breakfast, we prank some Slytherins and then I play with you for a bit.” She smiled and kissed his chest.  
   
Sirius nodded and shivered as she pulled her lips away from him. “I like the sound of that.”  
   
Carefully transfiguring the blanket back into their clothes, they both got dressed quickly and walked from the tunnel hand-in-hand once again. Everyone watched them as they walked down the halls. Both looked dishevelled and everyone knew that they were wearing the same clothes as they had been at the party the night before.  
   
Everyone knew but no one said anything to them. They all just stared at them with gormless expressions on their faces. April and Sirius didn’t notice though. They were in deep conversation about how they were going to get the Slytherins.  
   
They arrived at the Gryffindor table after everyone else was already sat. James wolf whistled as they sat down and Sirius started to gently run his fingers through his bed head.  
   
“Well,” James laughed as he looked between the two of them. “How was your night?”  
   
April looked at him with mock confusion. “I’m sure I have no idea what you could mean by that James.” She said innocently.  
   
Sirius held his hand to his heart. “Yes, James, what could you ever mean? I went to bed at precisely ten o’clock, as stated by the prefects to be curfew. Well, that is the time we must all retire, is it not April?”  
   
“Why, I believe it is Sirius.” She said and held her hand to her heart also.  
   
Remus rolled his eyes and James shook his head. “I just hope you got what you needed out of him April.” James said as he finished off his pumpkin juice.  
   
“Oh,” April smiled and put her hand gently on Sirius’s leg. “I think I did. We have a great plan for the Slytherins today. You are in, aren’t you?” she asked James simply.  
   
“What’s the plan?” he asked enthusiastically and April plunged into a quick outline of the prank.


	16. Plans for the Summer

The Slytherins had never seen it coming! As they left their commons they were silently hexed by April using _Locomotor Mortis_ so their legs were locked together while James and Sirius each threw a few of the exploding paint bags and numerous dungbombs at them.  
   
April did feel a little bad afterwards but it was all fun. The Slytherins were sure to try and get them soon anyway. They ran laughing up to the Gryffindor commons where they found Remus studying quietly with Frank Longbottom. Alice and Lily were nowhere to be seen.  
   
“April?” Remus quickly called her and motioned for them both to talk in private. Sirius didn’t look too happy about this but April followed Remus quickly without questioning.  
   
As she approached him, he packed up his books and they quickly walked down the halls. “What was it you wanted to talk to me about Rem?” she asked curiously.  
   
He sighed. “April, what are we going to do if you’re still here this summer? You can’t stay at Hogwarts after all.”  
   
April hadn’t thought about that but she didn’t want to leave. The summer was only a couple months away. She turned to Remus with wide eyes. “I don’t know.” She said quietly. “But I can’t leave before the summer, Sirius -”  
   
“I know,” Remus nodded and gently put his hand on her shoulder. “Look, April, I thought I would ask you since I knew you know had too much to lose leaving anytime soon. You might be able to stay at mine if my dad is up to it. I’ll explain the situation and everything. We can visit Sirius all the time and James is always happy to have us round his in the day.”  
   
Without thinking, April pulled Remus into a tight hug. “Thanks Moony.”  
   
“One,” April heard a voice behind her start counting. “Two,” she turned and saw Sirius waggling his fingers. “Don’t let me get to three.” April quickly shook her head and skipped over to Sirius where she wrapped her arms around him. “Much better,” he smiled.  
   
Remus held up his hands with a roll of his eyes. “I’m not trying to steal your girl Padfoot. We’re just sorting out arrangements for this summer.”  
   
Sirius smiled and looked down at April. “You’re staying for summer?” he asked excitedly.  
   
“Yeah, if Mr and Mrs Lupin will have me of course. You mum would never allow me to stay at yours and I would rather not spend all my time with James. I would _never_ go to Peter’s.” April looked at Remus with a smile. “I think staying with my best friend is the only way for me to stay.”  
   
“Got it,” Sirius smiled. The flash of anger she had seen in his eyes was now gone and he was relaxed under her touch.  
   
As April pressed on, she spent more time studying in agitation for the N.E.W.T.s she had decided to take. Remus had managed to help her catch up with most of it but some of the things just wouldn’t stick.  
   
They spent increasing time in the library while James and Sirius was off somewhere else doing whatever it was they were doing this time. Peter was still following them like a lost lamb which was starting to really bug April.  
   
When she wasn’t studying with Remus, Lily was making her study or Alice was quizzing her. Since she had missed almost two terms of her N.E.W.T program, they felt as if they needed to help her more than anyone else.  
   
It was only their first year of the exams but everyone was very stressed by them. April was half certain that she was going to fail them all but the long nights with Sirius usually helped stop her worries. He was all there for her which made things easier.  
   
May was even more intense as the exams started up. She thought she did okay with her Ancient Runes and had at least got something in Divination. Being able to predict her death as gruesomely as possible always worked for those teachers. She learnt that from her time with Professor Trelawney (who wouldn’t be starting for another couple years).  
   
Defence went fine in her eyes while Potions could have gone better. Care of Magical Creatures should have been okay but she didn’t know about Charms or Transfiguration. They were her two best subjects but exams made her nervous and April was sure she had messed them up.  
   
April wasn’t sure why she had done so many, what with the others doing an average of four or five, but she was content when school started drawing nearer to a close. She had done all she could have done, that was enough for her…  
   
It was on the first of June that Remus got the message back from his parents, allowing April to stay with them for the summer. They were excited to meet her since Mr Lupin was also a werewolf and Mrs Lupin was a muggle. April would have a lot to talk about with them.  
   
“Great, so it’s all sorted?” James asked with clear enthusiasm. “Night-Eyes will be at Moony’s for the summer. You’re all welcome to visit whenever you want. Oh, and Moony,” James turned to Remus with a bright smile, “we’ll come to you on the full moon. Padfoot and I aren’t going to miss spending time with you _and_ your dad!”  
   
Remus rolled his eyes as he looked back down at the book in his hands. He had a small chocolate bar sticking out of his mouth and everyone knew the full moon was only two weeks away; he was trying not to show how worried he was about it (that was why he ate so much chocolate, April had realised earlier the previous month, to take his mind off the change he had to go through like a teen eating ice-cream after a serious break-up).  
   
April patted his shoulder with a smile. “Don’t worry about it Moony. I’ll be there anyway, remember?”  
   
Remus nodded with a smile. Since the initial meeting of April, his feelings for her had slowly subsided to that of more brotherly love than the love he first felt. It probably had something to do with the look in Sirius’s eyes that warned anyone not to try anything with her.  
   
April saw less and less of Peter as the holidays neared since she spent most of her time with Alice and Lily now. Although she loved hanging out with the boys, April would be spending the summer with them so she wanted to spend the time with her other friends while she had the chance.  
   
“You will write, won’t you?” Lily asked her as they packed the night before they were set to leave. She had asked that question regularly as the summer neared.  
   
April rolled her eyes at Alice who stifled a small laugh. “Of course I will Lily. I’ve already told you this a thousand times now. You sound like a broken record.”  
   
Lily looked at her with a smile. “I do, don’t I?”  
   
Nodding with a smile, April chuckled. “You really do. Anyway, I’ll come and visit in the holidays. Just wait for the owl and the knock. You’ll know when I turn up.”  
   
Alice looked at them both. “I’ll miss you over the holidays.”  
   
Lily was near to tears. “Me too,” she sobbed.  
   
April smiled up at them both as she managed to close her trunk with a quick click. She pulled them both into a tight hug. “I’ll miss you both. Stay in touch.”  
   
“We will,” they both said in unison. That caused all three of them to laugh as they slipped into their beds for the night. Tomorrow, they would get on the Hogwarts Express and go home. Well, April wouldn’t be going home. She would be going to Remus’s.  
   
It was going to be a great summer…


	17. Mr and Mrs Lupin

“This is going to be the worst summer ever,” Sirius groaned as he played with April’s hand on the Hogwarts Express. They were nearing King’s Cross Station and he was getting nervous. “I don’t know how I’m going to be able to deal with living at home for six weeks when you’re not going to be with me.” He looked carefully into April’s eyes.  
   
April shook her head. She was sat in a compartment with the Marauders, Frank, Alice and Lily. It was quite a tight squeeze with all of them being in there but it seemed right to all be together then.  
   
“Well,” April smiled at him and dropped her voice so the others knew not to listen. “I’m only at Moony’s. You know how to get there whenever you want.”  
   
Sirius nodded and pressed his lips to hers as the trained slowed. April groaned as he pulled away but kept hold of his hand as they started to make their way slowly through the train toward the platform.  
   
April spotted Regulus stood by a severe looking woman and an older man. There was also another couple stood beside them and a couple girls with sombre looking expressions. There was a third girl there who looked a little happier than the other two and stood slightly away from the others.  
   
James patted Sirius gently on the back. “Looks like the Pure-Blood crazies are congregating. Sorry bro.”  
   
“Don’t worry about it,” he said staring at the woman with distaste. He turned his back on her carefully and kissed April gently on the lips before pulling away slowly and looking in her eyes carefully. His hand gently rubbed her cheek. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”  
   
April nodded and watched as he walked over to the group with one hand deep in his pocket. The group of people looked at him with distaste except the one girl who was stood away from the others. It was obvious she was related to the other two but her hair was a tumble-down brown where the others had black or blond hair.  
   
After a moment, April realised who they were. The black haired girl was Bellatrix Black (LeStrange in the future). She was the one who killed Sirius.  
   
The blond girl was Narcissa Black (Malfoy in the future). She married Lucius and watched him carefully as he stepped off the train.  
   
The brown haired girl would, therefore, be Andromeda Black. She would later marry Ted Tonks, a Muggle, and then give birth to a Metamorphmagus called Nymphadora Tonks. Nymphadora was a lovely girl and an amazing Auror who April had met once or twice. She was amazing –  
   
“There’s my mum and dad.” James smiled and quickly said goodbye to the others. As he turned, he looked at Lily. “I’m guessing your answer is still no to dating me?” he asked quickly and Lily smiled.  
   
“It’s still a no James.”  
   
“That’s what I expected,” he shrugged. “I’ll get you sooner or later Evans. Have a nice summer.”  
   
Alice and Frank left soon after, leaving only April, Remus and Lily stood together in a small group. Lily looked around expectantly and smiled as she saw her mother, father and grumpy sister walking toward them.  
   
“I’ll see you soon,” Lily turned to April and Remus and pulled them into a tight hug before running off to join her family with a bright smile on her face.  
   
Remus looked over the heads of the dispersing people and pointed out a man and woman stood away from the others. Like Remus, his father had scars down his face and a reserved expression as he tried to stay out of people’s way.  
   
His mother smiled and waved them over, pulling Remus in for a tight squeeze. She cupped his face in her hands as he leant down to look into his mother’s worried eyes. “Have you been okay Remi? Everyone’s been safe as usual?”  
   
“Of course mum,” he smiled and put his hands over hers. “I’ve had James, Sirius and Peter to help me. Don’t forget that I’ve also had April helping me these last couple months. I’ve never felt better about all this. The boys will be coming round for the full moon to help out again.”  
   
“Oh, Remus,” his mother looked worried. “I’m not sure if that is such a -”  
   
Remus rolled his eyes. “Mum, you try and stop them.”  
   
His mother nodded and both of Remus’s parents turned to look at April with a smile. Mr Lupin looked a lot like his son while Remus had his mother’s light brown hair.  
   
It was Mr Lupin that held out his hand first. “Nice to meet April,” he smiled.  
   
“Nice to meet you too Mr Lupin,” she said happily.  
   
They all walked out into the London streets where a car waited for them and Mr Lupin drove them out into the countryside. It took a long time before they arrived at the Lupin family home since it was in the middle of nowhere but that was how they liked it.  
   
“No one can get hurt if we’re far enough away.” Remus explained as he helped her unpack her things in the guest room which was to be her room while she stayed with him.  
   
“Thanks again,” April said for the twelfth time since she arrived at their home, making the Lupin’s laugh.  
   
It was a very relaxed household but as the night drew on, things got more reserved. Mr Lupin quickly kissed his wife goodnight before going upstairs. Mrs Lupin stood by the sink in silence as she looked out at the moon. Just a couple more nights and it would be full.  
   
Remus had his book propped up in front of him and shook his head as April looked at him in surprise. “This is how it is when you have two werewolves at home nearing the full moon since we can get a little problematic.”  
   
Mrs Lupin stiffened at her son’s words but April smiled sweetly up at Remus. “You’re not a problem Moony. Lycanthropy isn’t what people assume it to be. Just remember who you are.” She leant forward and wrapped her hand over his. “You’re my _best friend_ Remus. You’re also the only one to be able to help me through my problem. You know I’m here for you right?”  
   
“Of course I do,” Remus smiled.  
   
They spent the first one and a half weeks at the Lupin’s (with their first weekend spent chasing each other under a full moon with James and Sirius helping Mr Lupin and Remus out together). The next half a week, April spent around Lily’s. She managed to get Lily to promise to come round James in their fourth week of the holiday.


	18. A Bad Night's Sleep

It was the night she got back to Remus’s that she had her first bad night’s sleep. A tap on the window woke her with a start. She sat up straight in her bed, her wand already pulled in front of her. Again, the tap came.  
   
Slowly, as to not make a sound, April lifted her sheets off her legs and rose from the bed. She stepped carefully on the wooden floor, making sure not to tread on the squeaky floor boards she had already memorised. When she reached the window, April almost laughed out loud.  
   
Outside her window was Sirius Black with a handful of stones in his hand. When he spotted April at the window, his face lit up in a bright smile.  
   
April slid open the window pane and called down to him. “Sirius, what are you doing?” the night was still and silent so she knew he could easily hear her voice as she called down to him quietly.  
   
“Can I come up and explain?” he asked.  
   
April hesitated. She wasn’t sure what Remus’ parents would do if they found Sirius in her room at the dead of night but she was sure they wouldn’t be too happy with her.  
   
“It won’t be too long.” Sirius said quickly.  
   
“Okay,” April bit her lip as she thought about what would happen if anyone found him but she had wanted to see him again, properly, since the full moon. “I’ll be down in a second.” She said closing the window quietly. April paused at the door to listen to the others breathing in the house.  
   
As she had hoped, April could hear three people’s heavy breathing. They were all in a deep sleep. Padding down the stairs she slipped out the back door of the house since the front door had a tendency to squeak loudly at night.  
   
The back door slid open silently and she slipped into the night. Heading for the front garden, April heard a dog bark and wondered if Sirius had turned into his animagus form but then she felt an arm slide around her waist and another clamp over her mouth.  
   
Sirius leant around her body and whispered in her ear. “Did I scare you?” he asked mischievously as he removed his hand from over April’s mouth.  
   
April grinned at him. “Nope,” she whispered as she kissed him gently on the lips.  
   
“Damn,” he smiled, picking her up and spinning her around quickly. His lips never left hers as he pulled her as close to his body as he could.  
   
“Sirius,” April gasped as she came up for air. She was gasping from breath as Sirius toppled onto the grass with her on top of him. “We’ll wake everyone up.”  
   
“Please,” Sirius grinned. “It’s Moony and his parents. They love me!” he chuckled.  
   
April grabbed his arm gently as they got to their feet. “Sirius, what’s going on? Why are you here at one in the morning?”  
   
“I wanted to see you?” he said cheekily but April knew that wasn’t the full story. He sighed as if he had hoped she would leave it at that. Glancing behind him, Sirius slid his hand into April’s and pulled her toward the back of the house. “Let’s go inside before I tell you, shall we?”  
   
April shivered. It was very cold and she wasn’t going to deny the fact that she would much rather be in her room than where she was right now.  
   
Sirius expertly guided her into the house and up to the spare room where April was sleeping. Shutting the door quietly behind him, he drew his wand preparing to cast a spell but April caught his wrist quickly.  
   
“Wait, don’t do that. If you cast a spell here then Remus could get in a lot of trouble. He could even be kicked out of Hogwarts. It means the world to him that school!”  
   
Sirius immediately lowered his wand with a nod. “We’ll just have to be quiet then,” he smiled as he went to sit beside April on the bed. He took a deep breath before exhaling and looking straight into April’s eyes. “I ran away from home.”  
   
April didn’t know what to say. She had never had the problem he had with parents. Hers were Muggles and could sometimes act nastily when she did something _weird_ but they still loved her. It wasn’t like Sirius’s home where everyone seemed content with hating him.  
   
His mother was a witch and every sense of the word. She would have believed April to be the lowest of the low because she was born from a Muggle family.  
   
He took another shaky breath. “I finally had enough. I guess you don’t know what it’s like to be suffocated by hate in your own home. My mother, she’s a horrid person and Regulus is no better. I had to get out of there while I still could.”  
   
A large bruise was partially visible under his hair line and April swallowed bile as she thought about how he had probably got that. “To be honest,” April whispered as she lightly pushed back his hair to look at the purple mark. “It doesn’t surprise me. It was only a matter of time before they started chipping away at you. You’re strong Sirius but nobody could withstand that forever. They shouldn’t have to.”  
   
April carefully wrapped his arms around his shoulders. She didn’t hug him too tightly since his cringed under her touch. It seemed as if he was likely to have been beaten worse than it first looked.  
   
“Where are you going to go?” April asked but she already knew the answer before he gave it to her.  
   
“James’s, his parents will be fine with it. Well, mostly because there’s no one in that house whose honour I could put into jeopardy.”  
   
April was instantly glad for the darkness since a blush coloured her face. She knew he was only kidding; after all he couldn’t put her honour in jeopardy if she was his but the thought of it was still embarrassing for her.  
   
“I don’t know,” April teased gently. “There could be something between the two of you.”  
   
Sirius pulled back to look at her face with a smirk. “You really think so?” he joked as he rolled her under him. His lips danced over hers as he spoke.  
   
“Oh yeah, very cute couple.” She said, jabbing him gently in the ribs. “So, when are you leaving?”  
   
“Morning I suppose. Just before Moony and his parents wake up. I would rather not get you in trouble when they’re being so nice to you right now.” April looked out from under him at the clock on her nightstand. It blinked 2:09 at her.  
   
“You’d better get some sleep,” April kissed his lips again gently. She could see he was in a lot of pain. “The Lupin’s usually wake up at around eight o’clock so you should leave at about seven to be on the safe side”  
   
“So where should I sleep? The floor?” Sirius asked as he looked down at the hard floor with a little wince.  
   
April looked down at it in confusion. “You’ve got to be joking. That would be way too uncomfortable for you. You have to take the Knight Bus to James’s house. You sleep in the bed, I’ll take the floor.”  
   
She pulled a blanket off her bed and grabbed a pillow but Sirius laughed and shook his head, pulling her back onto the bed beside him.  
   
“Now you’re being silly if you think I’m going to let you sleep on the hard floor. Come on, here’s what we do. We’ll share the bed but keep our hand to ourselves,” he muttered as he playfully pecked her cheek and wrapped his arms back around her waist.  
   
“So much for keeping our hands to ourselves,” April smiled as she tucked her head into his chest. She laughed but it occurred to her that she didn’t care right now if someone walked in on them, it’s not like they were doing anything…  
   
Sirius shrugged. “Well, I figured that wouldn’t be a problem seeing as we’re sleeping together.” He smiled at her devilishly as his hands moved down to rest on her buttocks.  
   
April’s face burned a deep red against his chest but she didn’t deny it. She had, of course, _actually_ slept with him by now a couple times but never in a bed (it was usually in a tunnel or the Shrieking Shack). His teasing hadn’t gotten to her like this before but she kept her mouth shut.  
   
“Very clever.” April laughed quietly and looked up into his eyes. I don’t know how you just got me to jump into bed with you.”  
   
He put his lips to her ear once again and April felt a shiver run down her smile. “Yeah you do,” Sirius laughed and pulled back quickly. “It’s the charm, baby. Anyway, we should get some sleep.”  
   
April nodded and turned her back on him. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to ignore his warm body beside her. He wasn’t even a foot away from her. She heard him sigh and felt him shift on the bed. His arm came around her waist, just resting there.  
   
Not moving, April waited for him to remove it but his breathing had become deeper and even. She knew he had fallen asleep and soon followed. There were no dreams that night.  
   
As she rolled over, April felt the sunlight pierce her eyelids and opened them quickly. The bed was empty beside her but the sheets still smelt of Sirius, a sad reminder that last night hadn’t been a dream.  
   
A note lay on the pillow and she opened it carefully.  
 _Thanks for understanding April. And for the warmth in the cold night. You mean the world to me. See you around James’. Padfoot x_


	19. Visiting the Black's

April smiled as she tucked the note into her back pocket. She had already made up her mind on what she was doing that day and went to find Remus. He was downstairs waiting for her at the breakfast table.  
   
“What’s going on?” he asked as he looked at her face.  
   
“I need to get to 12 Grimmauld Place.” She said simply and looked around at the Lupin’s. “Please? It won’t take long.”  
   
Mr Lupin nodded as he bit down on a piece of toast and went to start the car. Remus watched her carefully as they drove through familiar roads up to the house of Black. Mr Lupin parked outside with a drawn expression.  
   
“April,” Remus grabbed the top of her arm quickly as he looked over her shoulder at the Black house. “What’s going on? Is something wrong with Sirius?”  
   
April shook her head. “He’s gone to James’s but I’m going to have a word with his parents. They’re horrible people Remus and need to learn the truth about us all. They treated him so badly that he finally had enough and ran away.”  
   
“It’s a good thing Mr and Mrs Potter are such lovely people then.” Remus said simply but nodded as they started toward the old house.  
   
April knocked sharply on the door and waited for it too open. She heard footsteps coming toward her and held her head high. A small House-Elf opened the door and looked up at her in surprise.  
   
“Yes?” he asked in a croaky voice.  
   
“I’m here to speak to Walburga Black. It’s about her son.” April said with her arms crossed.  
   
The House-Elf looked up at her in clear confusion but led both her and Remus into the kitchen where Mr Black, Mrs Black and Regulus were sat in silence.  
   
“Who is this Kreacher?” Mrs Walburga Black (Sirius’s Mother) half shrieked at the House-Elf. Regulus looked up at her in surprise before quickly looking back at his breakfast. Mr Orion Black (Sirius’s father) didn’t even acknowledge her.  
   
“She is here to talk to you about Master Regulus?” he looked at his mistress with a worried expression.  
   
April crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the woman in front of her. “Actually, I couldn’t care less about ‘Master Regulus’,” she said, mimicking the House-Elf’s croaky voice. Taking a step closer to the woman, April hissed. “I’m here to talk to you about your son, Sirius.”  
   
Walburga shrieked. “Do not say that Blood-Traitor’s name in my house! He is no son of mine! He is no Black!”  
   
“Shut up you old crone!” April shouted without thinking and saw Walburga’s eyes bulge in their sockets. April rolled her eyes but Remus looked very uncomfortable. “I’ve had enough of you all treating him like a piece of dirt on your ridiculous shoes. Sirius is a great person and if you don’t see that you really need to think about how the _most noble and most ancient house of Black_ judges character.”  
   
Orion looked up from his newspaper in surprise. “Young lady,” he said with a regal air. “Do not come into our home and talk to my wife like that. Your parents would never approve of such an act.”  
   
April flicked her hair tartly. “Actually, my parents would never know. After all, they are Muggles, both of them.”  
   
“Mudblood!” Walburga shrieked at the top of her voice, drawing her wand. “You – you come into my home talking as you do and you’re a filthy little Mudblood!”  
   
“I wish you wouldn’t use that word,” Remus said through gritted teeth behind April. The Black’s seemed to have just noticed him stood there. “It’s vile and a noble witch such as you should know better, Mrs Black.”  
   
She turned and looked Remus up and down quickly. “And _what_ do we have here?”  
   
Remus stepped forward civilly and extended his hand toward her which she ignored. Unfazed, Remus was polite as always. “Remus John Lupin, Half-Blood.” He smiled.  
   
“Always the gentleman,” April chuckled lightly.  
   
Walburga muttered the name under her breath and her eyes went wide. “You’re that Half-Breed child.” She stumbled backwards and glared at the two of them in sheer fury. “GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU DISGUSTING CREATURES! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!”  
   
Regulus got to his feet and quickly scooted them through the hall and out to the front of the house. He looked uncomfortably down at his feet. “Sorry about her. She’s a little crazy at times.”  
   
“She’s not the only one,” April glowered at him.  
   
Regulus quickly rubbed the back of his head. “Yes, right, that!” he muttered and turned to Remus. “Do you mind if I talk to Miss Mason in private Lupin?”  
   
“Since you asked so politely,” Remus bowed slightly as he walked back over to the car where his dad was sat watching them carefully.  
   
Regulus quickly pulled April over to the small green opposite the house and sat down beside her on a bench. He looked a little edgy, April thought to herself.  
   
“Right,” Regulus turned to April with a sincere expression. “Look, I’m sorry about calling you – um, what I called you. It was rude and obnoxious and I honestly can’t apologise enough. You don’t know what it’s like. I look up to Sirius, he really knows right from wrong and has been able to deal with living at home much better than I have.”  
   
April looked at him in surprise but bit her lip as he kept speaking in the same urgent voice.  
   
“I mean, Sirius was able to do what none of us could have ever done. He got away for a start but, more importantly, he managed to show he wasn’t just another Black. He’s a Gryffindor, an individual. I’m nothing more than ‘another black’ like the others.”  
   
“Well,” April patted his shoulder carefully. She wasn’t sure what to think about all this but she knew Regulus had just told her something he had never spoken to anyone about. “If you ever need anything then you just need to ask?”  
   
Regulus looked up at her in surprise. “I thought you hated me April?”  
   
“I did,” April smiled and squeezed his shoulder gently. “But, I think everyone deserves a second chance. That’s what I’m giving you here, a second chance.”  
   
Regulus laughed gently. “Thank you, April.”  
   
“That’s okay but I really should be going. I suppose you can send an owl if you need me?”  
   
“Of course,” Regulus smiled and walked her over to the car where Remus and his dad were sat quietly. “See you guys at school in the summer.” He waved them off.  
   
Remus looked at April over the back of his seat. “What was that all about?”  
   
“Don’t tell Sirius but I’ve just given his brother a second chance at friendship. He needs someone.”  
   
“And you think you can be that person?” Remus questioned with a smile. “That’s sweet of you April but how long are you actually going to _be_ here?”  
   
Biting her lip, April pulled a small book out from her pocket. It was the Marauders Book. She flipped carefully through its pages until she got to a new set of pages she had placed in the back. Some of them were carefully annotated while others were still blank. Many had pictures.  
   
Passing it over to Remus, she tapped one page in particular. “I’m needed here right now and will be for a while I think. I’ve done my own research and realised it might be due to timing into why I can’t get home just yet. I need to wait for a sign that will allow me home.”  
   
“What sign?” Remus looked through the new pages with clear interest. He recognised bits of the writing as a diary of sorts while other pieces were from books April had read about similar incidents she was now in.  
   
He came to one page that was different to the others. It was a large drawing of a phoenix rising out of fire. The phoenix was red and gold (like most phoenixes were) but the fire crackled with greens, blues, silvers, yellows, blacks and bronzes. All the houses of Hogwarts were also depicted in the picture as if it was important…  
   
“A phoenix,” April said simply. “There will soon be an Order, something Dumbledore creates. A war is coming Remus and the Order is all that can stop it. Bad things will happen and I can’t say much else but this phoenix is what I’m waiting for.”  
   
Remus smiled as he flicked back through the book. April didn’t mind him reading it. He wasn’t like James who would tell everyone what was written and he wasn’t like Peter who would probably get a kick out of it. Sirius was mentioned a lot but April tried not to write anything too erotic, it would have been wrong.  
   
Mr Lupin smiled out the window as he half-turned to look at April. “Where do you want to go now? It’s only just past lunch and you have all day to do what you like now.”  
   
April bit her lip. She wasn’t sure what she wanted to do but Remus looked up from the book quickly. “James will be expecting us to visit soon. Perhaps it would be best not to keep him waiting, considering.”  
   
Mr Lupin nodded and quickly turned toward the Potter’s home. Sirius and James were sat in the kitchen eating lunch when they heard the car arrive. For some reason that April couldn’t understand, Mr Lupin got everywhere very fast without ever speeding.


	20. The Potter's

Mr Potter got up from the table and went to get the door as his wife finished clearing up the dishes. “Thanks Mrs Potter,” Sirius said appreciatively as he leant back in the chair.  
   
“Honestly Sirius,” she smiled kindly. “It’s Apolla.”  
   
“I like it!” he chuckled and James turned to him with a scowl on his face.  
   
“Will you please stop flirting with my mum?”  
   
Sirius winked. “No, I don’t think I will.” He pulled his hands up behind his head as he swung on the two back legs of the chair lazily.  
   
April and Remus walked into the kitchen at that moment and Sirius toppled from his chair. James started laughing but April ran over to him and gently checked him over as she helped him up.  
   
“You alright?” she asked nervously.  
   
Sirius smiled. “Now I am.”  
   
“Not in the kitchen.” Mrs Potter turned to the two of them with a smile. “You must be April, lovely to meet you but, please, leave all signs of affection elsewhere.”  
   
“Yeah!” James laughed loudly and tutted. “This is where we eat. Come on, I’ll show you the garden.”  
   
Sirius draped his arm over April’s shoulders with a cheery, “Thanks Apolla, later Tom!” to James’s parents.  
   
James was walking quickly toward the garden where a tall oak tree sat beside a river. It reminded April oddly of Hogwarts since it was an oak tree they always sat under there too with the lake beside them.  
   
Remus leant up against the tree with the Marauders book resting lightly on his knees while James started playing with his Snitch. Sirius just sat gently by April with her cuddled to his chest.  
   
“You know,” James turned to April. “It really is good to see you again but I thought you guys weren’t coming until the weekend.”  
   
April smiled. “We weren’t but things happen and Mr Lupin was happy enough to bring us here.”  
   
“How is old John anyway Moony?” Sirius smiled.  
   
“He’s fine Padfoot.” Remus rolled his eyes at the casual manner Sirius always spoke. It was obvious what he meant. “Lycanthropy isn’t too bad but, of course, he likes his raw meats so don’t get too near with your fingers.”  
   
Everyone laughed at this.  
   
It was a peaceful sort of day with birds singing quietly in the trees and a light breeze. It wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t too cold. In fact, it almost seemed as if today was the most perfect day there had ever been.  
   
“Oh,” April said quickly, making the others jump.  
   
Sirius quickly held his hands up in the air. “I didn’t do anything!” he said as James and Remus turned to him in shock.  
   
April shook her head and nudged him gently in the ribs before she remembered he was still bruised. As he winced, she gently rubbed the sore spot and turned back to James. “Lily will be visiting too in a couple days. I managed to convince her.”  
   
“Lily’s coming here?” James said in confusion.  
   
April nodded.  
   
Sirius whistled. “Wow Prongs, maybe you do have a chance with Evans after all!”


	21. Lily...

Lily wasn’t sure why she had agreed to this! Going to James Potter’s house? Something crazy must have been running through her mind. Then again, April was going to be there and so was Remus so it didn’t seem like such a big deal when she thought about it.  
   
April and Remus turned up at her house at precisely eight that morning and Lily was ready to go but April had no intention of leaving right away. While she had been staying at the Evans’ home, April took to a great disliking of Petunia Evans (Lily’s older sister).  
   
Remus wasn’t sure what April was up to but he had a feeling it wasn’t good. He and Lily were sat in the lounge with Mr and Mrs Evans while April went ‘to the bathroom’.  
   
“So, Remus was it?” Mrs Evans smiled as she poured a small cup of tea in front of him. “Lily says you are also a _Gryffindor_ prefect?” she looked at her daughter to see if she had got that right but Remus smiled pleasantly.  
   
“Since my fourth year.”  
   
“And you study hard like our Lily?” Mr Evans asked with a smile.  
   
Remus nodded once more and felt a blush spread across his cheekbones. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. “Yes sir. My studies are highly important to me.”  
   
“So why aren’t you and Lily dat-?”  
   
“Dad!” Lily groaned. “We’ve been over this. I’m sixteen and too busy for a boyfriend. Anyway, Remus and I are _just friends_. Nothing more!”  
   
Remus relaxed. “Yes, Mr Evans. We’re prefects together but I wouldn’t date Lily. It would be wrong for me to do so.”  
   
He saw a flicker cross over Mr Evans’ face at this. “Isn’t our Lily good enough for you?” he asked with a hint of anger as his hands turned into fists.  
   
Remus put the cup of tea he had been sipping back on the table in front of him and blinked in surprise. “Why would I think she wasn’t good enough for _me_? If anything, I wouldn’t be good enough for _her_ but that isn’t what I mean. My friend, James, is in love with Lily so it would be wrong for me to date her. Anyway, like she said, we’re just friends.”  
   
“James?” Mrs Evans looked at Lily who blushed. “This isn’t the James you’re going to visit is it?”  
   
“Yes,” Remus said. He was still totally relaxed but now he had a cheeky smile on his face. “No doubt he’s going to end up asking Lily, once again, to go on a date and, once again, she’ll turn him down like he’s nothing more than a thorn in her side. It’s quite entertaining to watch.”  
   
“Remus!” Lily exclaimed as a small wail came from upstairs.  
   
April walked down the stairs with a smile on her face when she noticed four worried faces waiting at the bottom for her. Her hands were deep in her pockets and the smile only widened when Petunia appeared at the top of the stairs with pimples covering her face.  
   
“Time to go,” Remus hissed as he pushed April and Lily from the house. He turned back to Mr and Mrs Evans with a strained smile. “Thanks for the tea.”  
   
April wasn’t going to deny it. She had thoroughly enjoyed dropping one of the Pimple-Pops outside Petunia’s room and watching her eat it. The spots had appeared almost immediately and completely covered her face.  
   
They would disappear on their own in a couple hours but nothing could remove them. Popping them would lead to more appearing. Washing would lead to them growing in size. The trick was to just leave them but April had a feeling Petunia wouldn’t be doing that.


	22. A Chance

The Potter’s home was quite large compared to Lily’s. It was in the countryside only ten miles from Remus’s and had a lot of space around it. There were five bedrooms and a large living room with a dining room adjacent. All painted white.  
   
April saw Sirius and James waiting at the window for them and waved happily. Sirius blew her a kiss as James went to get the door.  
   
“Hey!” Sirius smiled as they made it up the front steps. He quickly picked April up in a tight hug and span her round as he kissed her lips carefully.  
   
“Hello to you to.” April smiled as he set her down.  
   
James had his hands in his pocket and shook his head as he turned immediately to Remus. “I sometimes don’t understand those two. At school they cane at least try and hide it but here she’s all Sirius thinks about. You can’t have a decent conversation with him anymore without him daydreaming.”  
   
“They’re in love.” Remus smiled with a shrug. “You should hear her talk about him at home. It’s the same sort of thing really.”  
   
James seemed content talking to Remus and Lily suddenly felt a little more awkward than she had thought she would. She had been expecting everything she hated about James. The flirting, the arrogance and the annoying hair ruffling for a start. But, he wasn’t doing any of that. Instead, he was talking to Remus about Sirius and April as if she didn’t even exist anymore.  
   
Shaking his head, James finally turned to Lily with a smile. “Hey Evans, welcome to the Potter house. Perhaps we should be getting inside since talking on the doorstep would normally mean you guys leaving quickly and I don’t want that!” Remus laughed at this and fell back into and easy conversation with James while the other three followed closely behind them.  
   
Mr and Mrs Potter were sat in the dining room when they walked in. Mr Potter placed his newspaper down with a smile and Mrs Potter brought out a tray of cakes and cookies.  
   
“Is this Miss Evans then?” Mrs Potter smiled as she held out her hand toward Lily. “I’m Apolla. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. James has told us so much about -”  
   
“I haven’t told you much.” James said as he flushed a deep red. Lily looked at him with a small smile and shook her head at him in surprise. She had never seen this side of him. It was more mature and a lot more appealing.  
   
“I’m Tom,” Mr Potter smiled at her. The same smile Lily was used to seeing on James’s face after he had won a Quidditch Match. “It really is a pleasure and James hasn’t told us much about you. He just never stops talking about you!” he laughed and Lily felt herself go as red as James had.  
   
James looked over at her with a small smile and shook his head mouthing ‘ignore them’. Lily bit her lip on a laugh and picked up a small biscuit from the plate.  
   
Remus had pulled out yet another book which he was reading quietly while saying the occasional word to Mr Potter who had joined them as they ate. Sirius was chatting happily with James, planning for the new school year and April was sat with Lily talking to Mrs Potter.  
   
After they had eaten the biscuits and cakes, Mrs Potter went to do some washing. April nudged Lily with a smile and they both got up to help carry in the cups.  
   
“Would you like some help, Apolla?” April asked with a smile as Lily carefully placed the cups on the side.  
   
“Oh, no, thank you.” Mrs Potter smiled. “You’re our guests. Go and play. I’m sure the garden is dry enough for a round of two-on-two Quidditch. James has been rather bored recently without enough people to play a simple game.”  
   
“And there is only so much I can take.” Mr Potter smiled as he walked in the kitchen to stand beside his wife at the sink, drying the cups as she washed them.  
   
April and Lily nodded and went outside to find the boys who, as April had expected, were sat under the oak tree by the river. Remus was still reading, Sirius had his arms up behind his head and James was…  
   
“I guess James hasn’t changed.” Lily laughed quietly as she watched him carelessly pluck the Snitch from the air. “Although, who’s he trying to show-off to here?”  
   
April laughed as she suddenly realised what Lily was on about. “You mean his obsession with that Snitch? Oh. Lily, he doesn’t play with that for the attention. Half the time he doesn’t even realise he’s playing with it. It’s the hair thing he does for the girls’ attention, mainly yours though.”  
   
Lily bit her lip. “I don’t know what you mean.”  
   
“You do. He isn’t trying to get _any_ girl’s attention that was what Sirius did. James only wanted _your_ attention.”  
   
“Does he really like me though?” Lily asked as she looked at her feet. “He isn’t just doing it because he wants to get at Severus?”  
   
April laughed at this. They had stopped walking now and were stood a few metres away from the boys. No one had noticed them yet and they were out of earshot to be heard.  
   
“That’s what you’re worried about? Lily, James knows you haven’t spoken to Snape since the O.W.L.s incident when he called you – that.” April shivered in anger as she thought of the word she had been called enough times. “He really likes you Lily. Don’t doubt that.”  
   
Lily nodded and felt her heart beat irregularly in her chest. It thumped louder than usual and she felt herself flush once again. April smiled; Lily might have just accepted her feelings for James after all.  
   
Sirius spotted the two girls a little way from them and closed his eyes once again. “So, Prongs, when are you going to ask her today?” he chuckled.  
   
James looked up at Sirius. “I’m not,” he said simply.  
   
Remus turned to his friend in confusion. “You’re not going to ask her? Why’s that then?”  
   
“I’m giving her time to think things over. She wants maturity and that’s what I’m going to give her today,” James smiled cheekily as he pocketed the Snitch.  
   
Lily wouldn’t meet his eyes when the two girls finally came to sit with them. They all sat there quietly in the sun for a few minutes before Sirius said the same words everyone except Lily was now use to hearing from him.  
   
“You know what, I’m bored. Why’s there nothing to do here Prongs?”  
   
James smiled and looked over at April slyly. “Well, you’re girlfriend is here? Maybe you could find something to do with her since that’s all you’ve been thinking about recently.”  
   
“James,” Sirius growled and turned to his friend severely. “Don’t you start on that one again? I’m warning you that if I hear one more word about my love life I’ll -”  
   
“How about two-on-two Quidditch?” April asked quickly. Whatever it was Sirius was going to threaten to do to James, she honestly didn’t want to hear it right now.  
   
James’s face lit up at this. “Sure, who plays who?”  
   
April turned to Lily. “You play with James, I’ll go with Sirius?” she asked with a smile.  
   
“But I don’t play Quidditch. Can’t Remus -?” Lily began but Remus looked up at her then.  
   
“I need to get through this for next week. I have a whole series to complete before we get back to school Lily. Anyway, I think you can do it.” Remus smiled sweetly.  
   
James ran back up the garden to a small shed where they kept the family brooms. Lily was handed Mrs Potter’s broom while April got Mr Potter’s. Sirius grabbed his own while James set up goal posts and grabbed a large red ball.  
   
“Here’s our version of the Quaffle.” James said, throwing it to April who caught it simply before he turned to Lily. “Main Keeper or main Chaser?” he asked her.  
   
Lily bit her lip as she watched April and Sirius carefully throwing the ball to one-another to practice before they started. “I’ll try the Chaser. Keeper is a little harder I think.”  
   
James nodded and turned to the other two who were a little way away. “Okay, ready?”  
   
“Go!” Sirius said and charged down one side of the pitch with the Quaffle while April took his flank.  
   
James and Lily moved quickly around them, getting the ball and taking it back up to the other end where Lily managed to score.  
   
“Ten points to James and Lily.” Remus said as he turned the page of his book. Each time one of them scored, Remus managed to give the score without any hesitation. Lily was surprised at this since he was so absorbed in his book.  
   
“James and Lily have one-hundred-and-fifty points. Sirius and April have one-hundred-and-thirty. James and Lily win.” Remus said lazily as the game came to an end.  
   
Sirius picked up and threw it carefully at his head but Remus caught it and threw it back without even looking. Laughing, Sirius shouted down to Remus, “How come you never made Keeper Rem?”  
   
“Never tried out,” Remus answered simply as he turned the page once more and lay the book down in front of him with a smile. “Finished,” he sighed happily.  
   
James was very polite throughout their stay that day and kept to his word. He didn’t ask Lily out even once and Lily even invited them all around her house for the next week. Everyone accepted; including Sirius who was highly interested in how Muggles lived since his parents despised them so much.  
   
It was all settled and Mr Lupin drove Lily home before taking April and Remus home. That just left James and Sirius at the Potter’s while Mr and Mrs Potter were out.  
   
James heavily jumped onto his bed as Sirius sat in the large armchair. “I think that went well,” James smiled up at the ceiling as he plucked the Snitch from the air once more.  
   
“Sure,” Sirius agreed as he pulled an old motorcycle magazine out of his pocket and started flicking through the pages happily. “You might actually have a chance with Evans if you can keep it up while we’re at hers next week.”  
   
“Yeah,” James’ smiled brightened even more. “I might.”


	23. Charming?

Nothing much happened during the wait for everyone’s trip to Lily’s. Peter visited a couple times and was also invited to Lily’s but other than that, nothing happened that was very interesting.  
   
April and Remus drove round to the Potter’s that morning to collect James, Sirius and Peter for the trip to Lily’s. April realised then that there were only five seats and six people and bit her lip as she thought about how to sort this out.  
   
Sirius chuckled at this and gently put her on his lap as James and Peter got in the back with them. James was sat in the middle while April leant her head on the window. Mr Lupin didn’t comment but he did stiffen meticulously at the amount of people in such a small space.  
   
Smiling, April pulled out a small vial from her bag and passed it over to him. “Here you go sir. I thought this might help you. I know you’ve been having troubles.”  
   
He turned it over in his hands and looked at the labelling carefully. It was hand written but clearly labelled as Wolfsbane Potion. One sure fire thing to help any werewolf nearing the full moon.  
   
“Thanks April,” Mr Lupin turned to her with a smile and pocketed the vial.  
   
“Anytime Mr Lupin,” she smiled back as they drove quickly through the streets toward the Evans’ home. It was quite near to where Severus lived, April realised and wondered what would happen if she went to visit…  
   
“Stop wiggling,” Sirius muttered in her ear as they pulled up in front of a neat little house. James looked at it with a smile but Sirius was too busy shifting April’s weight on his legs to notice the fact they had arrived.  
   
Looking up, April smiled at the house. It was so… Ordinary! It looked a little like her own home only a bit nicer in general. “We need to get out the car Sirius.” April smiled.  
   
Shaking his head, Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around April. “I don’t think I want too…”  
   
“Sirius,” Mr Lupin growled as he looked at him in the car’s mirror. “Don’t make me kick you out of my car. I will do it but I would really rather not.”  
   
Sirius held his hands up in surrender and quickly dropped from the car, taking April’s hand in his as the five teens walked up to Lily’s front door.  
   
April quickly slipped into the front and knocked on the door, thinking it would probably be better for a girl to knock rather than one of the boys. A tell girl of maybe a year or so older than the Marauders and neat black hair opened the door. Her eyes went wide in fear as April waggled her fingers.  
   
“Hey Petunia,” she smiled.  
   
“Mum!” Petunia squealed as she ran back into the house. April shrugged and dragged Sirius into the house behind her. James and Peter followed them, looking around in interest while Remus shut the door.  
   
“Mum! Mum, Lily’s weird friends have arrived!”  
   
Lily appeared at the top of the stairs with a bright smile on her face. She ran quickly down the steps and gave April a big hug before showing them all into the living room.  
   
There wasn’t really enough room for them all to sit down so Sirius and James sat on the sofa with Peter sat between them. April gently slouched on the arm beside Sirius and Remus was talking quietly to Lily about the coming school year as Mr and Mrs Evans walked into the room with a terrified looking Petunia.  
   
“Hello everyone,” Mrs Evans smiled sweetly but looked a little nervous. April thought it could be to do with the fact that a group of teenage wizards had invaded her house (and I mean wizards since it seemed more than enough of them were boys with only April as a girl sat there with their daughter).  
   
“Hello Mr and Mrs Evans, Petunia.” Remus smiled and turned to the others sat on the sofa. “These are my friends, James Potter, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black. I’m sure you remember April Mason?”  
   
Petunia nodded and stared daggers at the girl who had given her pimples earlier in the holidays. They had only just cleared up since she had been furiously trying to rid herself of them rather than leaving them be.  
   
“How long do you plan on staying?” Mr Evans looked each of the boys over carefully, wondering why they outnumbered the girls two to one. It made him feel a little uncomfortable. He especially didn’t like the little rat-like one in the middle of the other two on the sofa.  
   
James smiled innocently up at the adults. “Well, my parents are expecting me and Sirius home for bed at eleven and I’m pretty sure Peter’s parents want him home well before then so we shouldn’t be staying for much longer than a few hours.”  
   
Lily rolled her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips. “I think he’s asking whether you will be staying for dinner James.”  
   
James smiled. “Well, if you insist Lily.” He said cheekily.  
   
April bit her lip on a laugh as she watched Lily blush and turn to her parents. “I’m sorry about, well, him.” she said quickly and turned back to him in surprise. “Honestly, Potter, I expect that at school but not here...”  
   
“You expect what at school?” her mother asked in surprise and Lily flushed a deeper shade of crimson.  
   
James stood up and held his hands up in surrender. “I’m sorry, this is entirely my fault. Mr and Mrs Evans, I didn’t mean any disrespect to you or your daughter. I promise to behave myself from now on. I know Lily does not return my feelings and I should let her be, at least for the holidays.”  
   
Sirius quickly tugged James back down on the seat, almost squishing Peter in the process who gave a little squeal of surprise. _Once a rat, always a rat_ , April thought to herself.  
   
Mr and Mrs Evans looked between their blushing daughter and the now laughing James Potter in shock. So, this was the boy who was in love with their daughter hey? Well, they didn’t really see much of a problem with him except that his remark a moment before could have been thought of as inappropriate.  
   
Petunia was watching James with different thoughts going through her head. He was an idiot, obviously. He was also a _wizard_ , something she openly despised. A weirdo who didn’t deserve the time of day in her eyes.  
   
Lily shook her head in despair and quickly managed to pull them all out of the house and into the park across the street. She couldn’t have them in her house all day with James being a risk. He had already slipped once. Lily couldn’t allow him to say something else to his parents. It wouldn’t be a good start to anything if he insulted them further.


	24. James is Growing-Up

James chuckled as he sat on one of the swings in the dilapidated park opposite the Evans’ home. “Nice place,” he smiled at Lily.  
   
Lily just rolled her eyes as she lay on the cold grass with April, looking up at the sky. The clouds moved slowly over them as they watched. April pointed up at one. “Phoenix,” she sighed simply.  
   
“A phoenix?” Sirius looked confused as he looked up at the clouds. “Why do you see that? And where?” Remus tilted his head and James and Peter swung higher to see if they could see it too.  
   
April shrugged. “I just see a phoenix. It’s my patronus so I’m not too surprised about seeing one anymore.”  
   
Lily looked at her in surprise. “You’re patronus is a phoenix? That’s pretty rare. I’ve only ever known Professor Dumbledore to have that patronus.”  
   
“Mine’s a stag,” James said simply as he jumped from the swing and came to lie beside Remus.  
   
Sirius shrugged. “A dog, what do you expect?”  
   
Remus looked at the sky with deep interest. “Mine’s a wolf but that’s no surprise either.”  
   
April looked over at Peter. “What’s yours Wormy?”  
   
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I can’t do it very well.”  
   
April smiled at him. “You’ll get it.” He smiled back at her as he swung higher still. April turned to Lily with her hands still tucked behind her head on the soft grass. “What’s your patronus then?”  
   
Lily turned to her with a slight smile. “The same as Sev’s, it’s a doe.”  
   
“Told you he was gay James!” Sirius perked up with a smile at the thought. In his eyes, a doe meant femininity, so Severus had to be gay but…  
   
April hit him quickly on the top of his head and get up. “I can’t believe you Sirius. Why do you have to be so horrible to everyone?” she hissed before she stormed off with Lily following close behind her.  
  
"Was it something I said?" Sirius asked no one in particular in what looked like honest confusion.  
  
"Perhaps you should leave it Padfoot," James said getting up and running after the girls. April was sat on the floor cross-legged a little ways away with Lily beside her. Flopping down beside April he looked at her seriously. "Sirius was only joking April. He didn't _actually_ mean anything by it."  
  
April turned to him with tears in her eyes. "Actually James _he did_ just like _you do..._ I know Sev is a nuisance, an idiot and one of the want to be 'Death Eaters' but why can't you just leave him alone when he's not here? Sure get him back at school or whatever but there was no need for Sirius' snarky comments!"  
  
"We'll stop." James promised immediately and, for some strange reason, both April and Lily believed him. There was a sincerity in his eyes that wasn't normally there. One that showed a maturity. "We'll stop when he's not around to defend himself _unless_ we're planning. Is that okay for you April?" He asked not taking his eyes off her.  
  
Nodding, April agreed. The three of them walked slowly back over to the park and Lily realised James might just be worth it. Maybe she would give him a chance when they got back to school... Maybe?


	25. The Beginning of a Great New Year

No one wanted the summer to end but, as with everything, end was inevitable. April and Remus were packed a week in advance of the train’s departure and managed to get James and Sirius packed on time as well which was a miracle if ever there was one. The only worry was that April was starting to wonder if she was ever going to get home. What were her parents going to say if she _didn’t_ go back? It wasn’t a choice, not really, but April felt almost as if she belonged here. That was something she had never felt back in her own time.  
   
“I think Lily’s finally coming around to you James.” Sirius smirked as they piled into the train.  
   
James had spotted Lily a little way off speaking with Alice and, for once, she seemed genuinely pleased to see him when he waved. She had even waved back sweetly before getting on the train herself. “Told you she would, sooner or later.” James smirked flinging his trunk overhead.  
   
“Had to be later didn’t it?” April teased sitting by the window with a yawn. Last night had been tiring due to the anticipation of school. She hadn’t slept for any more than an hour which April now regretted but the train journey was long. As long as the others didn’t do anything while she slept everything would be alright.  
   
She should have seen it coming though she supposed. As soon as the train was moving the plans were set in place. Sure they were only going to get the Slytherins and James _had_ promised Lily to stop practicing hexes in the halls on the ‘less fortunate’ students but it was more than that. As the train moved James pulled out a badge with a smile and handed it to Sirius.  
   
“Oh, Padfoot, did I mention that I got _this_ in the post?” He laughed and April looked up in interest as did Remus and Peter.  
   
Sirius just rolled his eyes as he pushed the badge away from him. “ _Several times_ in fact Prongs. Actually you’ve been mentioning to me at every minute you could which I personally find to be -”  
   
“You got Head Boy?!” April laughed looking at him with a smile. Although she had known it was coming April couldn’t believe it all the same. Why would Dumbledore have chosen James after everything they had been through because of him? Surely it had something to do with his ‘popularity’ or the fact Gryffindor just keeping winning at Quidditch? Whatever the reason April suddenly found it hilarious and soon realised she wasn’t tired anymore.  
   
“You do understand that you have to keep things on a low then right Prongs?” Remus warned as he pulled out a book. April smiled noticing the logo on the front of the book. Remus was very close to finishing J. R. R. Tolkien’s book ‘the Hobbit’ but he had chosen to read it _after_ reading the Lord of the Rings Trilogy during the holiday. She didn’t understand it herself.  
   
“Sure,” James said rolling his eyes and Sirius looked at April with a gaze that obvious said _how long do you think that will last then?_  
   
April smiled pulling out her wallet. “5 Galleons that Prongs gets into trouble before the end of the night.” She said pulling out the coins.  
   
Sirius nodded. “I’m going to go for before the end of tomorrow night. Prongs will make it one day before getting in trouble.”  
   
“Well,” James said looking at the coins with interest. “I _will_ make it to the end of the week.”  
   
“Not if Sev has anything to do with it.” Sirius chuckled believing _that_ was going to be James’ downfall in this bet. April agreed knowing all too well that Severus Snape would be the person to get to him. “Are you two in or not?” Sirius muttered turning to Remus and Peter.  
   
Peter shook his head. “James can make it to the end of the week.” He said a little squeakily. Each time April met him she was starting to wonder if the stories were true. Could this really be the snivelling rat-faced man who betrayed his friends to Voldemort?  
   
“I’m still a prefect guys. I’m not betting on this.” Remus muttered from behind his book as he peeled open another bar of chocolate.  
   
The train journey seemed to go faster than usual as April and Sirius swapped music and stories of what had happened since they had last spoke. James said very little as he watched the two of them mutter to each other but every now and then started up a quiet conversation with Peter that April didn’t hear. Remus spent the whole journey reading…  
   
“… Hogsmeade.” April finished as she looked out the window. Already they were nearing the town and it was set out to be the best term so far at Hogwarts. With the Gryffindor Quidditch Team at its finest and James’ romance with Lily blossoming April knew this was where she wanted to be. However something troubled her. By now her parents would probably think she was dead. Would it be a better use of time trying to get home or sticking to school and -  
   
Sirius slipped his hand into April’s as the five of them headed off the train. Outside it was raining but that was okay for them. It was a short run to the carriages. Remus muttered something about the ‘poor first years having to row through this weather’ but other than that everything seemed alright.  
   
In fact, April thought with a smile as she watched the carriages start to move. Everything seemed perfect.


	26. Catching Up

Correction, _almost_ perfect, April thought as she reassessed the situation once the school became ever nearer. Everything was more or less perfect but it was going downhill pretty quickly. First there was Sev. She had tried and tried to make things right with the future Potions Master of Hogwarts and the Marauders boys but it wasn’t working. Already James and Severus had been caught duelling on the train by old McGonagall. April was surprised neither of them got detention but James _was_ pretty persuasive over the matter.  
   
“We were practising for our first defence lesson Professor,” James had muttered wiping the blood from his lip as Remus held Sirius back from punching Severus in front of the Professor. Peter was just stood there in confusion while April…  
   
“Are you alright?” She muttered looking at Severus carefully who just glared then walked off down the train without a word. As she had said, more or less perfect. Then there was the regular followers Sirius had managed to acquire over the years. It was obvious what _they_ were waiting for, even without their comment. “Do they _ever_ stop?” April asked as the five of them sat in the small carriage, it slowly moving forward.  
   
Sirius smiled but said nothing while James looked out the window and watched Lily climb into the carriage just behind them. His mind was on her again which was no surprise. April looked to Remus who had finally put down his book and was quietly quizzing Peter on a subject that April wasn’t clear on.  
   
“Almost forgot,” Sirius murmured pulling out 5 Galleons and handing them to April. “I guess that moment with McGonagall on the train means you won the bet. Prongs got in trouble, not detention but in trouble.”  
   
“Damn,” James sighed handing over his own coins then turning to Peter with a frown. “You bet to Wormtail.” He said pointedly. Without looking up from the book he was using to quiz with Remus he handed the 5 Galleons over without a word.  
   
“Thanks Peter.” April said quietly looking at the 15 more Galleons she now had. That was a lot of money in her books, she hadn’t honestly thought she would win the bet but she was glad she had the money now. The trip to Hogsmeade that was obviously coming up would be much more fun when _she_ could buy everything. The drinks. The supplies… Everything would be easier now.  
   
The ride was quiet compared to April’s usual rides to school but she wasn’t with her normal friends right now. She wasn’t even in her normal time for crying out loud. She was with the Marauders and had been for, um, a while now? April didn’t want to think about it but she knew she had to go home soon. She couldn’t stay forever no matter how much she wanted to now.  
   
April’s mind was suddenly thinking more about home than she had for a while. She couldn’t go home, not yet, but she was starting to miss it. Summer had been a great distraction. It had been the best holiday she had ever had. She had forgotten about home and all her normal troubles. Being at school though in such a normalised routine… April wasn’t sure how long she would last.  
   
She didn’t want to leave but now she had been in this era for almost half a year. She couldn’t stay much longer; her parents would either be worried or already say she had disappeared. She couldn’t let them think she was dead. No, she _had_ to make sure they knew she was alive somehow. April realised that was the problem though. She had no way of signalling her parents as she waited.  
   
Lily and Alice were unpacked by the time April made it up to the dorm room silently dragging her trunk over to her bed. The thought of levitating it had somehow been forgotten. Wiping her brow April laughed quietly as she turned to the other girls. “People should really do something about the trunks. One day we won’t have to drag them up here ourselves, trust me on that.” She smirked knowing full well that the House Elves employed would have to do it by more magical means.  
   
“What lessons are you taking this year April?” Lily asked quickly as she pinned her head girl badge onto her robes.  
   
April shrugged as she ticked them off her fingers. “Only Charm, Defence and Potions I think. The others were great but it was _way_ too much work for my liking. I guess you guys are keeping up with what you had started right?”  
   
“Right,” the two girls chorused leading April to smile brighter.  
   
“I really did miss the two of you.” April muttered pulling them into a loose hug. “It wasn’t the same with just spending time with Lily. How was your holiday Alice?”  
   
“Fine, I spent some time with Frank actually.” Alice blushed and Lily looked at April knowingly. April nodded in return. They were a couple and everyone knew it but neither Alice nor Frank seemed as if they were going to make it public just yet.  
   
Lily turned to April. “You know how my holiday went April. James made _quite_ the impression on my parents after his ‘dinner episode’.” Lily rolled her eyes and Alice looked between the two of them in confusion.  
   
“James was _trying_ to behave himself but ended up spilling his drink on Petunia, dropping food on the floor and having a quiet argument with Sirius because Sirius had been talking ‘inappropriately’ about James and Lily’s ‘relationship’.” April said and quickly turned to Lily. “Speaking of which, you really should say yes next time James asks you out Lily or he might give up completely. Just one trip to Hogsmeade, that’s all he’s asking.”  
   
Alice nodded in agreement. “It’s not a marriage proposal Lily.”


	27. Tears and Disappearances

The first trip to Hogsmeade that year was scheduled in early October, a week before Hallowe’en. “We will need to be prepared for Hallowe’en this year if Prongs is Head Boy. The younger students are expecting something big right?” Sirius smiled as he and April ran through the corridors, a group of unhappy Slytherins running behind them.  
   
“Of course Padfoot!” April cried over the noise of angry footsteps as they ran down passage after passage. Knocking into a small group of people April mouthed the words ‘sorry’ to a pair of ginger haired boys before running off once more. “Hallowe’en is important Black. We have to get the prank set with or without Prongs’ help.”  
   
A little breathless the two of them made it up to the Gryffindor Commons with no more than windswept hair and a couple scratches on their faces. April looked at Sirius and bit her lip on a laugh. “You know what? You have blood dripping from your nose.”  
   
Sirius chuckled back as he wiped it away. “Well your lip’s bleeding.” He countered quickly as they slumped onto one of the plush red sofas quietly.  
   
“That girl had a mean hook, even for a Slytherin.” April muttered with a bright smile. She hated the taste of blood. It wasn’t nice; she hated it more than most could. Blood, yuck! It was slightly coppery and just… That wasn’t something she wanted to think about though as she felt her smile waver slightly on her face. “Sirius, what happens when I leave?”  
   
“I don’t know.” He said immediately looking at the floor.  
   
“I guess I know already.” She sighed realising things would go back to how they had been beforehand. She knew what happened after this. She knew everything already and yet she didn’t want to believe it anymore.  
   
Peter Pettigrew got them killed? How is that even possible? He basically worshipped the floor the other Marauders walked on. Severus Snape helped Remus for the best part of a year until Sirius reappeared. It seemed as if Sev would never have helped any of them now. Sure he said he would help her now but April still doubted that. She didn’t want to test that theory out though. James and Sirius were basic prats and yet loved by so many?  
   
Sirius was dead in her time. James and Lily were dead. April didn’t want to believe any of it now. She couldn’t believe that they were gone. It was too much for her to handle as she got up and ran from the room as tears started to flow down her face. She couldn’t let Sirius see her tears.  
   
Sirius was going to follow her when Remus and James stepped through the portal hole. “What’s up Padfoot?” James asked instantly looking at the worried look on his friend’s face.  
   
“It’s probably nothing. Where’s Wormy?” Sirius said walking with the other two up to their dorm room. April wasn’t one to cry but maybe that just meant she needed some time alone. Sirius couldn’t have said anything wrong, could he?  
   
“We lost him on the fourth floor.” James said as he slumped on his bed. He didn’t sound too bothered by the fact he had lost one of his friends causing Sirius to roll his eyes and head for the door. James turned to him in confusion. “Where are you going now?”  
   
“To find Wormy before he gets himself in trouble.” Sirius sighed walking down through the halls. If Peter had been on the fourth floor when James had last seen him then he could be anywhere in the castle by now. He might not have even been on the school grounds anymore.  
   
Sirius started with the fifth floor since Peter had a tendency to go up floors rather than down. “Pete? Honestly Wormtail where the heck are you?” He muttered looking behind the tapestries and in the classrooms as he passed. “I wish you would just stop doing this now. Come out already before we both get in -”  
   
At the end of the hall stood a group of Slytherins. In amongst them were Severus Snape, Barty Crouch Jr., Regulus Black and Bellatrix Black. Sirius cursed under his breath as he noticed Peter stood cowering amongst them. He had never been able to stand up for himself. That had become James and his job. Pulling out his wand as he hid half behind the suit of armour he took aim at the group but was stopped as April walked around the corner with a look of confusion on her face.  
   
“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked seriously with her hands on her hips. Her eyes looked between Regulus and Snape accusingly. Neither of them said anything but Sirius had an impression that they looked a little ashamed.  
   
Bellatrix smiled nastily taking a step towards her. “Mason right? My cousin’s filthy girlfriend?”  
   
April shrugged as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Something like that. We’ve never been formally introduced, have we? I presume you’re Bellatrix Black? You know, you’re not as intimidating as you think you are.”  
   
“Excuse me?” She asked in bewilderment as April walked into the group and took Peter’s hand.  
   
April just shrugged as she started down the hall still clinging to Peter’s hand as if his life may have depended on it. Her wand was nowhere to be seen but April was throwing and catching what looked like a small black rock in her free hand. Taking a look over her shoulder at the group April shock her head. “I wish you guys would understand that bullies never win.” She muttered dropping the rock on the floor.  
   
Everything suddenly went black as pitch and Sirius waited. Once the halls were lit once again April and Peter had gone. Sneaking back up the hall careful to avoid the Slytherins who were looking around in confusion Sirius made his way back up to the Commons. Peter was in the dorm room but April was nowhere to be seen.


	28. Awakening

April awoke fully dressed in her bed dressed in the same clothes she had worn after leaving Jess in the park. Looking at the book in her hands in confusion she wondered if it had all been a dream. No, that couldn’t have been right. It had all been so real…  
   
“APRIL!” Rowan and Ash screamed running into the room and pelting her with water before disappearing. Her trunk was still beside her as she looked around confused by what could have happened. She had been walking through the Portal Hole to the Gryffindor Common Room when the burning sensation had started up in her robes.  
   
Flipping through the pages April saw her own scrawling’s nearer the back of the book. All the things she had written about the Marauders. Everything she had written about Sirius. Her thoughts about the time and feelings towards everyone she had met. It couldn’t have been a dream; this was her handwriting and her notes. She remembered writing them.  
   
A jangling sound came from April’s wrist as she moved to find some dry clothes. The bracelet was still in place covered in tiny little ornaments. The dog stood out most of all as April looked at it. The dog, the lily and the stag. Three of her closest friends had died by now. April wasn’t sure how she could bare this fact but she did no one thing. She wouldn’t be late for school tomorrow!  
   
Somehow the months she had spent with the Marauders had been equal to no time at all back in her time. It reminded her a little of the scenario in the old Narnia stories her mum used to read to her at night. You step into one place and time basically stops in the other, different timelines. The only difference was that they weren’t different timelines; they were the same ones at two separate points in history.  
   
Walking into the Great Hall the next day April smiled as she looked up from the Gryffindor table at the old Headmaster. His eyes met hers briefly with a small nod of acknowledgement as if she really had remembered what had been said between them. That was good news, he knew the truth too.  
The Sorting Ceremony was as long as always with few hiccups in the way. April watched as Harry appeared later than the rest with blood on his shirt but didn’t say anything. She didn’t really know him all that well after all. Not like she had known his father.  
   
Later that night an owl arrived with two small packages. April wasn’t used to getting owls except from her parents but neither package was from them. One was a small photo album signed by ‘you’re old pal Moony’ while the other was a set of notes from Sirius forwarded by Dumbledore. Tears flowed in thick streams as April looked over the pictures and read through the notes. All the things she could have done if she had been born one generation before. In the generation she had belonged too.  
   
It didn’t do well to dwell on such dreams, April knew this. Her life was in the here and now and that was what she had to remember. Her time with the Marauders had been an adventure but now she was left with only her memories and a few objects that would forever be kept close to her heart.  
   
                                                                                                                - **THE END** -


	29. EPILOGUE: the Battle of Hogwarts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know, sorry about the ending but this is where it belongs.  
> How it should end in my eyes.  
> Hope you enjoyed the read and weren't too disappointed with how it finished.
> 
> Most of this was written back in 2010 and the rest finished in 2013 but it went pretty much like this either way. At the Battle of Hogwarts April dies anyway so she didn't spend too much time without her friends. Sometimes that's how life goes. It has to be cruel to be kind.
> 
> I have no idea what I'm writing here...
> 
> The End x

April looked around as the shield fell allowing the first wave of death to start throughout the school. It was quick but brutal as far as she could tell but at least she had a pretty good chance that they could win still, with Harry’s help of course. Never once since her return had she doubted him. After Dumbledore’s death last year it hadn’t surprised her that he and his friends, Ron and Hermione, hadn’t returned to the school but they were busy doing something more important in her eyes.  
   
In her hand she held a small book that had meant so much to her at a time. It had been her life but April knew she was going to die today. Running through the castle she looked for somewhere to keep it safe, for someone to look after it once she was gone. There was one person she trusted wholeheartedly to do this, her friends Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. The first girl she came across was Luna.  
   
“Luna!” April called causing her friend to turn as she shoved the book in her hands. “Don’t lose this, it’s everything to me. Keep it safe will you?” She asked and watched Luna look down at the book with curiosity before running off to say her goodbyes.  
   
There was only one person she needed to say a real goodbye too but April wasn’t sure how it would work. Running through the crumbling brickwork and falling bodies she dodged and cursed as many as she could looking for someone from both her past and present. It wasn’t him she found first but his wife signalling that he was close by.  
   
“Tonks, where’s Professor Lupin? I have to tell him something important!” April shouted over the sound of falling bricks nearby as a small explosion went off shaking the castle to its foundations.  
   
“He’s over there.” Tonks said stunning another Death Eater before spinning around and pointing in the direction for April to take.  
   
No sooner had she pointed then April was running faster than ever. Sliding under the falling bricks, jumping over debris and bodies until she spotted Lupin only a short distance away heading back towards Tonks. Without slowly April ran headlong into him wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace and tucking her head into his chest for a second before pulling away and kissing him quickly on the cheek.  
   
Remus Lupin looked confused to say the least but a flicker of recognition spread over his face in an instant. As April felt the lump grow in her throat she quickly stepped away and started to run once more shouting “I love you Remi, you were the best friend I ever had!” over her shoulder as she went.  
   
No sooner had she done this than she was faced with a battle to the death with a group of three Death Eaters surrounding her. Something about it seemed very familiar but then again she had known them all once. Bellatrix Lestrange was the one she had her eyes on though. Something had seemed to have truly cracked in the woman after all these years driving her ever more insane. Azkaban could do that to you.  
   
“Hello Bella,” April sighed keeping her main focus on the woman with wild black hair and a crazed expression on her face. She looked as if she was wildly enjoying herself.  
   
“April Mason, now this is a surprise!” She laughed loudly causing April’s blood to run cold. The other two Death Eaters seemed to have dispersed leaving Bellatrix to circle April like a predator circling its prey. There was only so much time left…  
   
“You look well.” April said politely wondering what was going through the other woman’s head. “Except for… Well… Everything about you that is.”  
   
Cackling loudly April had never felt more frightened in her life. She had hung around werewolves, met several _hundred_ Acromantulas. Believed one of her closest friends DEAD in her first year. Been sent back a generation causing her name to be written twice in Hogwarts history. Seen Dumbledore fall as she walked the grounds as a cat that night… So many things and yet _never_ had she been more terrified that this moment.  
   
“I killed your sorry excuse for a boyfriend.” Bellatrix muttered almost lovingly as she cocked her head to the side, her wile eyes trailing up and down April as if she was a prize. “My Mudblood loving cousin was killed by me because I could. Now I get to kill you too? The Dark Lord _will_ be pleased.”  
   
“I’m nothing, remember Bella? Why would the Dark Lord be glad to see me go when you could please him more by killing someone else?” April asked in confusion. She was scared but had understood what the woman had said. Why was she such a big deal?  
   
Bella’s eyes twinkled as if it was a challenge. “Because of _the book_! The Dark Lord wishes to possess the power of the so-called ‘Marauder’s Book’ of which you have been able to use. If you hand it over willing he might let me spare you but if not -” Bella traced a line from ear to ear under her chin. The universal symbol for being killed, nice.  
   
April just shook her head hiding her wand behind her back and getting ready to run as soon as Bellatrix dropped her guard. “I don’t have it anymore. It’s safe; somewhere no one will ever find it.” She said as another explosion went off nearby. It was close enough that Bella turned slightly towards the noise giving April her chance.  
   
Running was all she could do now. Run and hide. Duck and dodge. Hope beyond all hope that she could get out of this alive. The chances were so slim though that April knew she couldn’t survive. Anyway her death had already been foretold to happen here; she had even told her parents not to expect her home after the holidays.  
   
It all happened so fast. Another explosion went off causing April to slow down as she saw a familiar body lying on the ground. Tears welled up in her eyes before she could stop them as she fell beside the body. Fred Weasley, one of her pranking buddies and closest friends in this time was lying broken with his eyes still wide open as if in shock.  
   
“Fred?” April asked in disbelief as she lifted his head onto her lap. “Fred, wake up you idiot! You can’t do this to people. Not to Ginny. Not to Ron. Not to Charlie, or Percy or Bill… Not to your mum and dad and _most certainly_ not to George! Fred!”  
   
Still he didn’t move. Slowly reality drew back in as the tears ran thick and fast down her face. She couldn’t bring him back by yelling. She couldn’t bring any of them back by yelling. Behind her someone laughed. Taking a deep breath April got to her feet and turned back to Bellatrix with a scowl.  
   
“Well then?” April taunted dropping her wand to the floor beside Fred’s head and holding her arms out at her sides. “Do your worst.” And then, everything went black…


End file.
